A common thought: even if procreation has some morally problematic features, it is permissible for some adults to procreate (and to procreate a good number of times) because they have a profound interest in being parents, and other activities or relationships cannot substitute for the satisfaction of this interest. According to this Parental Interests Justification of procreation (PIJ), having a biological child is justified as a means of acquiring the children you have an interest in raising. I think the PIJ is appealing, but I want to discuss some concerns about it.

My talk will proceed in three parts. First, I’ll discuss why childhood is a seriously bad state to be in. Second, I’ll show that the most promising account of the parenting interest links the good of being a parent directly to the bad-making features of childhood: the features that make childhood bad for children are the same features that make parenting good for adults. I’ll suggest that this puts pressure on the PIJ. Third, I’ll argue that even if the PIJ succeeds, it can only deliver a limited permission to procreate. This is because of concerns about the distribution of procreative opportunities, and the fact that the strength of the interest in being a parent of a new child decreases with the number of children you’ve already got to raise.

This talk is part of a joint project with Sarah Hannan (Manitoba/ANU).