Serena Olsaretti: The Ethics of Pronatalism

This talk examines some of the key ethical dimensions of the case for and against pronatalism. Pronatalism – the view that it is desirable or mandatory for society to encourage adults to have children, for example by providing monetary incentives to procreators – is on the rise in public discourse in countries with declining fertility and defended by some demographers who are concerned about demographic ageing. Pronatalism is also viewed benignly by many philosophers, as bringing new people into the world, if they have good enough lives, seems to be valuable; perhaps we even have duties to have children. But is pronatalism compatible with duly respecting children and with acknowledging that procreation imposes unchosen and serious risks on the child we aim to create? If it is not, and if we abandon pronatalism, can we still hold on to the idea that having and raising children is essential for societies’ just institutions and that all citizens, not just parents, should share some of the costs of children for that reason? This talk examines some of the key ethical dimensions of the case for and against pronatalism.