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RE: Overpopulation: You get to cast the deciding vote.
July 10, 2015 at 10:17 pm
(This post was last modified: July 10, 2015 at 10:17 pm by Whateverist.)
Beyond the fact that the world hasn't quite been depleted by us, that isn't the only reason to wish for many less human beings. There are other creatures on this planet and they are running out of habitat and food at an alarming rate. Turning this planet into a monoculture of humans, and organisms which nurture humans is an ugly choice. Humans as virus. Less would be so much more appealing.
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RE: Overpopulation: You get to cast the deciding vote.
July 10, 2015 at 10:43 pm
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: Overpopulation: You get to cast the deciding vote.
July 10, 2015 at 10:50 pm
(July 10, 2015 at 10:12 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Trying to separate the deontologists from the consequentialists? I'll take my seat with the former.
I did not have that specifically in mind when formulating the question. Nor will the responses necessarily make such a distinction. That is, one cannot be sure that all of the people who answer one way are consequentialists and all those who answer the other way are deontologists.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: Overpopulation: You get to cast the deciding vote.
July 10, 2015 at 10:52 pm
(This post was last modified: July 10, 2015 at 10:53 pm by Cato.)
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RE: Overpopulation: You get to cast the deciding vote.
July 10, 2015 at 11:25 pm
You've constrained the options to such a point that its no longer a "Sofie's Choice". It's easy, put a legal limit on reproduction, and have sterilization become a part of the birthing process. All other options have been explored, as you have stated, and the only other option, if not this, is mass starvation.
The fallout would be almost immediate with libertarians and the like revolting, which would lead to some sort of war, but it's unavoidable, as a legislator. The other method is effectively doing nothing.
Now, if I took myself out of this hypothetical and answered as myself, I'd do nothing. Worse things can happen to this planet than humans dying out. And since I'm breaking rules, I might as well bring the economy into the equation. If food is rare, food is expensive. If food expensive, people are expensive. A large portion of people, who are either calculative about their movements, thus careful with their reproductive decisions, or just selfish, thus dictating their choice to have more children, will counter balance the amount of people on earth. We are already seeing this trend.
I can't remember where this verse is from, I think it got removed from canon:
"I don't hang around with mostly men because I'm gay. It's because men are better than women. Better trained, better equipped...better. Just better! I'm not gay."
For context, this is the previous verse:
"Hi Jesus" -robvalue
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RE: Overpopulation: You get to cast the deciding vote.
July 10, 2015 at 11:28 pm
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: Overpopulation: You get to cast the deciding vote.
July 10, 2015 at 11:44 pm
(July 10, 2015 at 11:25 pm)Exian Wrote: You've constrained the options to such a point that its no longer a "Sofie's Choice". It's easy, put a legal limit on reproduction, and have sterilization become a part of the birthing process. All other options have been explored, as you have stated, and the only other option, if not this, is mass starvation.
...
I had thought it would be such a choice for the vast majority of people. As I type this, a full third of those who responded to the poll disagree with that as the 'right' answer. It will be interesting to see if that percentage changes with more responses. And it is making me wish for a scientific poll of people generally for this question, as I am curious about how people view this matter.
It is also making me interested in polls regarding people's attitudes generally regarding personal choice and how things affect other people. That is to say, I am interested in the question of what matters more to people, personal choice, or the effects of personal choices on others. Perhaps it depends on which way a person looks at the question. To relate this general idea to this specific thread, maybe it depends on whether one is thinking about one's own choice or about someone else's choice and its possible effect on one. Or in other words, one may view the question differently as someone who is going to starve, than as one who is making the choice.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: Overpopulation: You get to cast the deciding vote.
July 10, 2015 at 11:47 pm
It brings to mind the anti-vaxxers and herd immunization.
I can't remember where this verse is from, I think it got removed from canon:
"I don't hang around with mostly men because I'm gay. It's because men are better than women. Better trained, better equipped...better. Just better! I'm not gay."
For context, this is the previous verse:
"Hi Jesus" -robvalue
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RE: Overpopulation: You get to cast the deciding vote.
July 10, 2015 at 11:52 pm
At this point a majority agrees.
I can't remember where this verse is from, I think it got removed from canon:
"I don't hang around with mostly men because I'm gay. It's because men are better than women. Better trained, better equipped...better. Just better! I'm not gay."
For context, this is the previous verse:
"Hi Jesus" -robvalue
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RE: Overpopulation: You get to cast the deciding vote.
July 10, 2015 at 11:57 pm
(July 10, 2015 at 11:47 pm)Exian Wrote: It brings to mind the anti-vaxxers and herd immunization.
Excellent analogy. Personal choice versus the effects on others.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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