Philosophy of Overpopulation: Antinatalism and Childfreeness
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Antinatalism is a phenomenon that historically represented philosophical marginalia, not mainstream. However, in the West, we encounter nowadays an increasing number of women – and couples in general – who choose to walk the path of childfreeness (= being voluntarily childless). In its first part, this presentation introduces philosophical antinatalism in Arthur Schopenhauer's book Studies in Pessimism. The second part discusses the humans' reasons for not having children. It argues that having a child is a human right, not a duty, and that we should recognize and support human autonomy. At the moment of its apparent conclusion, the presentation does not end. It comes with the third part, which problematizes what was said so far, underlining the reality of declining fertility rates in Western countries. At this point, it brings forth Oswald Spengler's book The Decline of the West. The presentation ends in a medically atypical way – instead of Take Home Message, it brings more questions than answers ... |
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