The Grand Illusion
I would appreciate any comments you may have about the politics and economics of this article: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/age-depopulation-surviving-world-gone-gray-nicholas-eberstadt
My initial reaction is that Eberstadt totally misses the ramifications of the most important point. We’re seeing depopulation because women everywhere in the world are tired of being baby factories and being marginalized. Where they can, they’re stepping away from familial structures that continue to minimize them. Where they can’t step away, they’re trying to have fewer children.
Until men and governments recognize this, and actually deal with the problem, it’s going to continue.
Eberstadt’s analysis of global population decline overlooks a crucial factor: women’s agency in controlling their fertility. While he explores various reasons and scenarios for the decline, he fails to adequately address the impact of women’s expanded reproductive choices.
Although Eberstadt briefly acknowledges that the desired number of children is a powerful driver of population decline, he dedicates only one paragraph to this critical point. He neglects to fully explore how modern contraception and changing societal roles have empowered women to make informed decisions about their reproductive lives, a freedom largely absent in previous generations.
He raises a lot of interesting points, but ignoring the profound impact of female choice and autonomy seems like a large blind spot in his study.
My main curiosity was in the direction of “volition” of the individual and the ability of any group of humans having a directive effect upon such without inhibiting the choices of the individual.
The other factors which can be affected by government were interesting but the author seemed to await Devine intervention meaning “evolution” of humans to solve the problems. Rather than discussing one or two economic tools that would help more of the world population “catch up” he identified impeding factors. Would it even be possible for humans to resolve the problems he notes via the mechanism of governing of humans by humans?
The increasing dual male/female family responsibility being accepted in the affluent societies seems to me to be a reason to hope for a gain in family grouping, with increased joy which children bring, and, increased support that the eventual extended families, add to the strength of societies.
The increased population percentage of females
should make recognition of females equal to males without the consequences of “The Empress of Eternity”.