What Are Children For?

Aug 9, 2024

Guest

Anastasia Berg

Guest

Rachel Wiseman

Guest

Christine Emba

Anastasia Berg, a philosopher and professor at UC Irvine, and Rachel Wiseman, managing editor for The Point, delve into profound questions about parenthood and declining fertility. They discuss societal pressures and individual choices in child-rearing, emphasizing the challenges posed by factors like economic uncertainty and climate anxiety. The conversation critiques modern narratives around parenthood, exploring millennial perfectionism and ambivalence about having children. With insights from Christine Emba, the dialogue weaves together ethics, societal expectations, and the quest for meaningful family planning.

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INSIGHT

Reasons for Declining Birth Rates

Young people are having fewer children, prompting discussions about the ethics of reproduction in the context of climate change.
This limited perspective neglects the profound personal and philosophical implications of having children.

INSIGHT

The Choice of Life

Choosing whether to have children involves personal life choices and the philosophical question of humanity's future.
Having children affirms life, but contributing to society through other means like activism or art also affirms life.

INSIGHT

Authentic Choice vs. Societal Norms

The book aims to help people make authentic choices about having children by exploring the stakes involved.
It examines narratives around finances, careers, and societal expectations to facilitate informed decision-making.

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The international drop in baby-making is currently in the headlines, and it’s been constant preoccupation for us at Wisdom of Crowds (including in our latest edition of CrowdSource). It concerns us not only because of the possible long-term economic consequences but also because a people’s inability — or lack of desire — to reproduce itself might be the consequence of serious moral or social problems.

Enter philosophers Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman. Anastasia is a professor at University of California at Irvine, while Rachel is managing editor for The Point. Berg and Wiseman have written a book that asks the fundamental question right in the title: What Are Children For? Why should people reproduce? Should people desire to do so? And why has there been a drop in birth rates? What are the issues underneath the decline of fertility in the United States and around the so-called developed world?

Damir presses Anastasia and Rachel on the question of false consciousness. Are the young people telling themselves stories or giving themselves excuses instead of just … making a choice? In response, Anastasia and Rachel say that they take a sympathetic approach. They analyze the objective factors that seem to hinder family formation — cost of living, inability to find a mate, fear of the future, etc. — and see whether they truly are insurmountable. As philosophers, their goal is to enhance the free choice of individuals. If what you choose “by inertia” (because it is the cultural default) is not what you would choose if you had thought about things more clearly, then you are not truly free.

The conversation runs deep, but it is also extremely relatable for Wisdom of Crowds listeners who, on average, tend to be on the younger side. Stick around for a quasi-defense of Millennials, too. They’re not immature; in fact, they might be too “old” for their age …

Enjoy!

Required Reading:

* What are Children for? On Ambivalence and Choice by Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman (Amazon).

* “On Choosing Life,” by Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman (The Point).

* Rethinking Sex: A Provocation by Christine Emba (Amazon).

* “The Real Reason People Aren’t Having Kids,” by Christine Emba (The Atlantic).

* “Wham! Choose Life” T-shirt (Amazon).

This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Governance and Markets.

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