Today’s disagreement is on The Ethics of Having Kids.
Two experts who made different life decisions come together to disagree about whether having children is still ethical given the existential risks facing humanity today - from climate change to the global fertility crisis.
The Questions
In the age of climate change, is it more ethical to have kids or not have kids?
What are the costs and benefits of either choice when the reality of our shared future is unknown?
What does the pro-natalist movement and its policies get right and wrong?
The Guests
“The condition of humanity is suffering…should we bring more people into a suffering condition?” - Heather Houser
Heather Houser is a professor of English Literature at the University of Texas at Austin. A cultural critic and author of the book Infowhelm, Heather is an expert on climate change and feminism.
“It's a perfectly ethical and good thing to have children.” - Liz Bruenig
Liz Bruenig is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she writes about theology, politics and policy. Previously, Liz was an opinion writer for The New York Times and The Washington Post, where she was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing.
Mentioned in this Episode
Berg, Anastasia. Weisman, Rachel. What Are Children For? On Ambivalence and Choice. Published June 2024. MacMillan Publishers.
Episode 20: Should you have kids?