Why Have Children? ─ The Ethical Debate

In contemporary Western society, people are more often called upon to justify thechoice not to have children than they are to supply reasons for having them. In this book, ChristineOverall maintains that the burden of proof should be reversed: that the choice to have childrencalls for more careful justification and reasoning than the choice not to. Arguing that the choiceto have children is not just a prudential or pragmatic decision but one with ethical repercussions,Overall offers a wide-ranging exploration of how we might think systematically and deeply about thisfundamental aspect of human life. Writing from a feminist perspective, she also acknowledges theinevitably gendered nature of the decision; although both men and women must ponder the issue, thechoice has different meanings, implications, and risks for women than it has for men. Overallconsiders a series of ethical perspectives on procreation, examining approaches that rely onreproductive rights; on fundamental religious, family, or political values; and on the anticipatedconsequences of the decision for both individuals and society. She examines some of the broaderissues relevant to the decision, including population growth, resource depletion, and socialpolicies governing reproduction. Finding the usual approaches to the question inadequate orincomplete, she offers instead a novel argument. Exploring the nature of the biological parent-childrelationship--which is not only genetic but also psychological, physical, intellectual, andmoral--she argues that the formation of that relationship is the best possible reason for choosingto have a child.

Christine Overall is Professor of Philosophy and University Research Chair in the Department of Philosophy at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. She is the author of Aging, Death, and Human Longevity: A Philosophical Inquiry and other books.