Frames of Space Robin Hanson on the Problem Behind Declining Fertility Rates
Feb 6, 2025
Robin Hanson, an associate professor of economics at George Mason University, shares insightful perspectives on the troubling decline in fertility rates. He connects this issue to cultural drift, discussing how evolving norms impact population stability. The conversation touches on significant factors like education and urbanization influencing birth rates. Hanson provocatively suggests that reforms in education could play a role in addressing these trends, while examining the delicate balance of evolving cultural values and their implications for society.
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Cultural Drift
- Cultural drift happens because we copy behaviors from each other, leading to rapid evolution.
- This process is fast but crude, lacking the checks and balances of DNA evolution.
Fertility Decline and Cultural Shifts
- Declining fertility rates correlate with cultural shifts like increased education and later marriage.
- These trends, alongside individualism and urbanity, contribute to fewer births.
Reduced Cultural Selection
- Modern changes like nation-states and globalized culture reduce cultural variety and selection pressures.
- This weakens cultural evolution's ability to adapt to change, like declining fertility.