Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

What You Can't Expect When You're Expecting

2013; Volume: 92; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.11612/resphil.2015.92.2.1

2168-9113

L. A. Paul,

Family Dynamics and Relationships

It seems natural to choose whether to have a child by reflecting on what it would be like to actually have a child.I argue that this natural approach fails.If you choose to become a parent, and your choice is based on projections about what you think it would be like for you to have a child, your choice is not rational.If you choose to remain childless, and your choice is based upon projections about what you think it would be like for you to have a child, your choice is not rational.This suggests we should reject our ordinary conception of how to make this life-changing decision, and raises general questions about how to rationally approach important life choices.It seems natural to choose whether to have a child by reflecting on what it would be like to have one.I argue that choosing on this basis is not rational, raising general questions about our ordinary conception of how to make this life-changing decision. 1* This paper is dedicated, with much love, to my two children.1 My point has larger consequences for how we plan our futures and attempt to become the kind of person we think we want to be.I develop the discussion and show how my argument applies to a wide range of decisions and life experiences in Paul (2014). 2 In this example, I am assuming that you and your partner are physically able to have a child.Below, I will consider an implication of my argument for those who cannot physically produce a child.For simplicity, I am not discussing the decision to adopt a child, although I believe that a version of my argument would apply.