The limited advocacy for pronatalist policies may also be evidence against it.
In a context where we can have a cosmically vast future, if we avoid X-risk today, advocating for a few more people on earth tomorrow is totally missing the point. Pronatalism only makes sense when thinking total utilitarian but completely forgetting anything longtermist. If you were a total utilitarian, but had “here be dragons” on your map of the long term future, then pronatalism makes sense.
I agree that pronatalism might be of small consequence (to the total utilitarian who thinks the future could be vast and happy) relative to avoiding extinction risk.
In a context where we can have a cosmically vast future, if we avoid X-risk today, advocating for a few more people on earth tomorrow is totally missing the point. Pronatalism only makes sense when thinking total utilitarian but completely forgetting anything longtermist. If you were a total utilitarian, but had “here be dragons” on your map of the long term future, then pronatalism makes sense.
I agree that pronatalism might be of small consequence (to the total utilitarian who thinks the future could be vast and happy) relative to avoiding extinction risk.