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Sat 22 Sep, 2012 04:30 am
The current thread on "the ethics of forced sterilization" has prompted me to speculate on a related scenario. What would be the ethical position regarding an assumption that biotechnology advances to the stage where a contraceptive agent could be added to all public water supplies, and "the antidote" could only be obtained by application to authority.
@fresco,
I would never support such a thing, but I suspect that at some point, there will have to be a maximum legally allowed number of children and some sort of penalty for violating it. If the population keeps increasing, sooner or later, there will be widespread famine.
@Brandon9000,
Quote: there will have to be a maximum legally allowed number of children
There is already in China, with taxation as the sanction rather than litigation.
I believe a population-control dept should be set up by govts that only allow licensed persons to procreate, depending on financial supportability, ethical intellect and social standing.
Also, the right to extinguish life upon request of recipient
Those who procreate, unlicensed, should not be discriminated against or penalised, other than prevented from receiving state assistance or welfare benefit.
@fresco,
fresco wrote:
Quote: there will have to be a maximum legally allowed number of children
There is already in China, with taxation as the sanction rather than litigation.
This policy is being phased out. The Chinese government is concerned about negative consequences such as the lack of adult children providing care for aging parents.