Thanks for asking! On the one hand, there is not a tension in the sense that both interventions are decreasing suffering in the short term. On the other hand:
Assuming:
The major driver of the (positive/​negative) impact of lifesaving and family planning charities is essentially a function of their effect on population size.
Lifesaving charities increase population size, whereas family planning charities decrease it.
There is a tension. If increasing the population size is good (bad), lifesaving charities are good (bad), but family planning charities are bad (good).
Thanks for the explanation! I’m not a consequentialist, and I don’t grant that increasing the population size is good in its own right. If you accept increased population as an intrinsic good I can see why you’d see a tension.
Just to clarify, I do not see increasing human population as intrinsically good. I think it increases the welfare of humans in the nearterm (assuming the saved lives are good in expectation), but I am quite uncertain about the effects on animals, and indirect longterm effects. So I do not know whether increasing population is good or bad.
Hi britomart,
Thanks for asking! On the one hand, there is not a tension in the sense that both interventions are decreasing suffering in the short term. On the other hand:
Assuming:
The major driver of the (positive/​negative) impact of lifesaving and family planning charities is essentially a function of their effect on population size.
Lifesaving charities increase population size, whereas family planning charities decrease it.
There is a tension. If increasing the population size is good (bad), lifesaving charities are good (bad), but family planning charities are bad (good).
Thanks for the explanation! I’m not a consequentialist, and I don’t grant that increasing the population size is good in its own right. If you accept increased population as an intrinsic good I can see why you’d see a tension.
You are welcome!
Just to clarify, I do not see increasing human population as intrinsically good. I think it increases the welfare of humans in the nearterm (assuming the saved lives are good in expectation), but I am quite uncertain about the effects on animals, and indirect longterm effects. So I do not know whether increasing population is good or bad.