Children and the Sciences

It is said that as members of the animal kingdom, human beings should reproduce in order to ensure that the species remains alive. However, such statement should not be taken to mean that every member of said species should engage in reproduction. There are some who are not physically nor psychologically fit for bringing children to life. Such individuals instead of improving the race would bring about a steady detriment that is sure to take the human race into its complete demise. At the same time, there are others whom regardless of their potential to bear perfectly healthy and capable children decide not to although based on different yet appealing reasoning.
First, there is a moral commitment to bearing a child. Parents are expected to love their children unconditionally. Yet, this is a principle which not all people are capable of following. There are many who can indeed love but they can love from a distance even if those who are the objects of said love have the same blood running in their veins. There is also a moral duty to that emanates from consequentialism to maximize goodness in the world and if there are those who will not be able to love their children a with the unconditional love that is required of them, then they should not engage in such practices. By the same token, it is better to undergo the prevention of a good thing, than to allow a dreadful one to happen. For which one can borrow from a physical theory, one can expect for children to become either a positive or a negative force in the world. But there is not any assurance that all children would be positive forces. In addition, there is the same question of whether the chemical reaction that the child would bring to the world would be positive. Some might argue that one should be willing the take the risk; yet, consequentialism argues the contrary. Sometimes it is necessary to abide to the rules of consequentialism whatever form this might take.
Further, there is also an expectation to provide shelter, food, and education, which is not something everyone can afford despite their physical and psychological wellbeing. In other words, if one is not economically able to, then one should not have children. But this is a well-known argument, which leads to another very important point.
Biologically the planet earth will reach its carrying capacity. This will indeed lead to the so-called end of the world. Those who understand such precept should indeed take it upon themselves to dilate such a state as much as possible. Thus, the surplus of people should work as a call for a slower reproduction at least for those who, as just mentioned, understand the situation. Then, there is another objection, which says that the lack of quality of those who currently walk he world should be enough motivation to reproduce. That, however, is not a valid objection since if a higher quality is more readily available, then its marginal utility will more rapidly diminish rendering it wasteful considering that there is not a guarantee that demand will rise. At the same time, the opportunity cost of having a child is excessively high for those who never factored such variable into their life plan.
There is another reason, which is rather important although widely disregarded: selfishness. Some people have children in order to feel better about themselves, or to have something, someone in this case, to feel proud of considering that their personal accomplishments fall short of their own expectations. There are those who say there is certain pleasure in having a child because one teaches them how to navigate the complicated roads that life presents them, this is an example of said selfishness. Teaching something of this magnitude to someone is a rather great achievement, thus could be considered rather egotistic in nature to want to guide someone for almost two decades. There are others who simply argue that having a child brings a joy to their heart, which begs the same remark: it is not about the life that is born rather a selfish need for personal happiness provided by someone else’s existence.
While humanity appears to have become accustomed to the available supply, the demand for a better quality still remains. Nevertheless, reproduction should be a personal choice. Still, the new generation does not much care for real contentment, mesmerized by the smallest spark of artificial bliss.


xoxo,
Poison Drops


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