I’m really surprised by how common it is for people’s thoughts to turn in this direction! (cf. this recent twitter thread) A few points I’d stress in reply:
(1) Pro-natalism just means being pro-fertility in general; it doesn’t mean requiring reproduction every single moment, or no matter the costs.
(2) Assuming standard liberal views about the (zero) moral status of the non-conscious embryo, there’s nothing special about abortion from a pro-natalist perspective. It’s just like any other form of family planning—any other moment when you refrain from having a child but could have done otherwise.
(3) Violating people’s bodily autonomy is a big deal; even granting that it’s good to have more kids all else equal, it’s hard to imagine a realistic scenario in which “forced birth” would be for the best, all things considered. (For example, it’s obviously better for people to time their reproductive choices to better fit with when they’re in a position to provide well for their kids. Not to mention the Freakonomics stuff about how unwanted pregnancies, if forced to term, result in higher crime rates in subsequent decades.)
In general, we should just be really, really wary about sliding from “X is good, all else equal” to “Force everyone to do X, no matter what!” Remember your J.S. Mill, everyone! Utilitarians should be liberal.
I’m really surprised by how common it is for people’s thoughts to turn in this direction! (cf. this recent twitter thread) A few points I’d stress in reply:
(1) Pro-natalism just means being pro-fertility in general; it doesn’t mean requiring reproduction every single moment, or no matter the costs.
(2) Assuming standard liberal views about the (zero) moral status of the non-conscious embryo, there’s nothing special about abortion from a pro-natalist perspective. It’s just like any other form of family planning—any other moment when you refrain from having a child but could have done otherwise.
(3) Violating people’s bodily autonomy is a big deal; even granting that it’s good to have more kids all else equal, it’s hard to imagine a realistic scenario in which “forced birth” would be for the best, all things considered. (For example, it’s obviously better for people to time their reproductive choices to better fit with when they’re in a position to provide well for their kids. Not to mention the Freakonomics stuff about how unwanted pregnancies, if forced to term, result in higher crime rates in subsequent decades.)
In general, we should just be really, really wary about sliding from “X is good, all else equal” to “Force everyone to do X, no matter what!” Remember your J.S. Mill, everyone! Utilitarians should be liberal.