Is it unethical to have kids in the era of climate change | Hacker News Reader

Is it unethical to have kids in the era of climate change

qz.com

13 pointscdvonstinkpot13 comments

What a superficial article, doesn't even bring up the way having children affects climate change and the environment.

The answer is no. There have always been existential issues for humans. One that comes to mind right away is the Black Death in 14th century Europe. I don't see why climate change makes a difference now. Unfortunately, for them, it will be our grandkids that will have to figure out how to move forward.

I agree that it's probably not unethical. But during the past, the human population was actually too low, creating instability and suffering. At some point it may become too high, or may have already become too high. It really depends on where that floating equilibrium is.

When I watch documentaries about Syria war, or North Korea, I always think I would never give birth to a child under those conditions.

i dont even need to go that far, looking closer to home there are plenty of reasons, imagining i had a partner who made around the same as me could we afford for one of us to quit work to look after the kid? no, could we afford to pay someone to look after it? no, even affording the extra costs of supporting a non working human being like food and clothes etc would put incredible strain on the financial situation.

of course in that situation there would be a ton of benefits i could claim that would make it more affordable but why should i expect other people to pay out for my desire to have a child i cant afford?

I mean look at it this way... If no one had kids, then we would wipe out the human race, which itself is unethical. So if having kids was unethical, then it would also be ethical. A philosophical paradox. Having kids can never be considered unethical in a macro point of view.

> If no one had kids, then we would wipe out the human race, which itself is unethical.

Not everyone agrees with that intuition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Benatar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinatalism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntary_Human_Extinction_Mov...

https://www.amazon.com/Every-Cradle-Grave-Rethinking-Suicide...

Do you take David Benatar seriously?

I haven't read his book yet, but I'm about to read Sarah Perry's.

The problem with voluntary human extinction is that suicidal ethical systems are inherently self-limiting. A serious negative utilitarian who wished for human extinction would have to sterilize or kill others to succeed.

Depends on your idea of ethics. There's no ethical system everyone agrees on. Can we call a natural biological function ethical or unethical?

no more so than having kids you cant afford to properly support

No. There have to be survivors.

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