Go forth and multiply

[Vladimir]

A moral obligation? A legal one? How? Why?

The only basis for such an obligation would be religious. Without a godly precept, man has no reason whatsoever to procreate.

Certainly no Darwinist ever said 'Go forth and multiply', even if survival were somehow a moral obligation it does not follow that multiplication is the way to go for a particular individual. Evolution works on the group level as well.

Survival depends on adaptation to (changing) circumstance. Circumstance may demand many or few children. In today's society the raising and enculturation of succesful off-spring is so labor-intensive that maybe (even probably) 'less is more'.

In short, a childless couple of lawyers who contribute the maximum to society may be more instrumental to group survival than a couple that devotes itself to kids.

Adrian, you're too intelligent for my post. I'm not talking about the human constructs of morals, laws, and whatever keeps us civilized. I'm talking about A, C, G, T. Without a godly precept, what reason does anything have to procreate?

Come on now, these are the basics.

[Adrian II]

Without a godly precept, what reason does anything have to procreate?

So we agree?

So we agree!

[Vladimir]

P1: Without a godly precept, there is no reason to procreate.
P2: If humans fail to procreate, humanity will perish.
C: Therefore, one must believe in God (or a god, or godly precept) or else humans will go extinct.

Is that right? Anyway...

Or maybe you're mentioning the word "reason" for a, um, reason. Does there need to be a reason? How many of us have inhibited our higher cognitive functions in order to help satisfy our desire to procreate? After all, inhibiting those functions usually increases that desire.



+



=



+



then

[Adrian II]

P1: Without a godly precept, there is no reason to procreate.
P2: If humans fail to procreate, humanity will perish.
C: Therefore, one must believe in God (or a god, or godly precept) or else humans will go extinct.

Is that right? Anyway...

May I propose the following alternative?

1. Without procreation there is no reason for a god.
2. Whenever god fails, humans just can't believe it.
3. If all else fails, procreate!

[Rhyfelwyr]

What about all the fuss with overpopulation? I heard someone on the news recently say it is immoral to have more than one child.

Also, what if trends continue and all the population growth continues to be in poorer areas, both on the global and regional level? Will it lead to increasing gaps between the rich and poor? Or will it increase social mobility for the poor when the less populous middle/upper classes leave more room for the lower classes to climb the social ladder? Or will it be a bit of both, depending on how the situation is managed?