The most famous argument for anti-natalism is David Benatars asymmetry argument, which argues that the impossibility of a lived life being better than never existing leads us to the conlusion that having children is morally wrong. In this essay I discuss an alternative route to reach the same conclusion. My argument is inspired by Seana Shiffrins consent-based argument and is an alternative to Erik Magnussons risk-based argument. After discussing ways to avoid common objections to the asymmetry argument I proceed to argue whether my risk based argument stands up to an array of hypothetical counterarguments

In this thesis I have examined Anti-Natalism, specifically arguments by David Benatar, which conclude that human procreation is under all circumstances wrong, and Seana Shiffrin, which concludes that procreation is a “moral hard case.” I provide objections and responses to each argument of my own, as well as those from Saul Smilansky, Rivka Weinberg, and David Wasserman. I also examine the manner in which female unemployment rates (as well as aggregate female and male) unemployment rates in a year between 2005 and 2014 impact fertility rates in the following year (from 2006-2015).

In the last thirty years an increasing number of governments are taking an interest in the growth rate and age structure of their populations. The chief concern among advanced economies is that pay-as-you-go pension and health care systems for the elderly will be unsustainable as the ratio of younger workers to older beneficiaries shrinks from aging populations. Resistance to reforms such as reduced or delayed benefits, or higher taxes has focused attention on a third option, growing the working-age population. There is a growing consensus on the economic benefits of population growth, a reversal from the 1960s through 80s. Governments try to grow the population through incentives for more children and/or accepting more immigrants. This report compares the population policies of Singapore, the United States, France, and Japan to analyze governments' motives and policy outcomes. Middle-income nations like China and Brazil can learn from the experiences of developed nations to avoid the same predicament in the future. Each government's mix of fertility incentives, immigrants, and guest workers is a product of their economic and political circumstances. The surest way to grow the population, accepting immigrants, is usually the least popular. The most popular is the most unproven, providing benefits for larger families. There is no consensus what the most effective fertility incentives are. Population policy has never been just about the economy, it is steeped in political and cultural visions. Shedding that political baggage is a prerequisite to a more rational, sustainable policy approach to demography. / text

This essay will present a discussion about why critical thinking is crucial for student’s long-term development with the subject religion and science in high school religion as an example of how this can be fulfilled. Three different theories will be applied in this essay in order to form a comprehensive discussion. The three different theories presented in the theoretical framework are, John Dewey ‘s pragmatism, Hannah Arendt’s Natality and Paulo Freire’s Marxist theory. The subject religion and science was only recently added to the most updated curriculum, which has led to teachers taking it more seriously. Prior to that it was only a topic, which could or could not have been excluded. Now that it is included in the curriculum, new teaching approaches and learning strategies are necessary because of its density. The relationship between religion and science has several different perspectives and attitudes meaning that student’s can freely adapt their own because basically, no opinion or answer is wrong. Student’s can analyze, think critically and then develop his or her own understandings of the topic. The teacher must remain unbiased when teaching this topic so student’s can eventually develop his or her own creative views and opinions on the subject being studied. The schools curriculum emphasizes the fact that student’s are to develop his or her own creative opinions in life that will eventually contribute to society. The curriculum also stresses the importance of developing critical thinking and the ability to reflect. Critical thinking is a useful skill for all subject and matter and life however, it is not something that can develop on its own. Through reflection, and sufficient amount of guidance, the student’s ability to think critically will develop and progress into life long knowledge. Moreover, new knowledge that is reflected upon and critically analyzed will be memorized competently.

M.A. (Philosophy) / Consider a couple planning to have children. There are many reasons one could offer these potential parents for reconsidering bringing new people into existence. One could for instance say to them that they currently lack the finances, or maturity, to adequately take care of any children they produce. If it were almost certain that this couple would pass on a terrible genetic disease to their offspring, one could see it as one’s duty to warn them against reproduction. One could even draw attention to the plight of orphans, and suggest to these (and other) potential parents that a more pressing responsibility lies not in planning to give homes to persons not yet in existence, but in attempting to give homes to those already in existence. However, when deciding whether or not to create children, rarely does one consider, over and above the preceding considerations, whether there might be some fundamental wrongness to the very act of procreation. In other words, rarely does one consider the possibility that creating people might, all things considered, never be permissible. At its extreme, “anti-natalism” implies the view that coming into existence is always a harm that outweighs any of its benefits. This position is defended by David Benatar (Benatar 1997, 2006). However, one need not believe that coming into existence is always an overall harm in order to favour an anti-natal perspective; one need only believe that it is morally problematic to inflict serious, preventable harms upon others without their consent. Such a consent-based anti-natal position can be derived from the argument put forth by Seana Shiffrin (1999). To be clear, according to either of these versions of anti-natalism, creating a new person is considered an impermissible harm. When I refer to “anti-natalism” in this dissertation, I will be referring to this negative judgement regarding procreation. Anti-natalism has a rich philosophical heritage, with its roots stretching back to antiquity. For instance, Ecclesiastes (1:1-18) of the Hebrew Bible bemoans the apparent meaninglessness and futility of existence—a state of affairs with which any number of generations of humans must cope. Not until very recently, however, has the anti-natal position been given due consideration by philosophers. Arthur Schopenhauer (1851), for instance, is perhaps best known for advocating a pessimistic philosophy that is, broadly speaking, anti-natal in its implications. The key figure in this field, however, is Benatar, who defends an unequivocally anti-natal position.