Question - Quora Procreation

The natural selection has produced living beings with the need for survival and reproduction.

At each generation humans with no need for reproduction are eliminated from the gene pool (because they don’t reproduce), so the gene promoting this suicidal tendency are uncommon.

In the past, some humans where reproducing not driven by the need for breeding, but driven by the need for sex (from an evolutionary perspective it works, because the result is the same). Hopefully, with the contraception, such humans are now able to enjoy sex without breeding and are therefore eliminated from the gene pool. That is better for them (they can do what they like without any consequences) and better for the mankind (a specie needs individuals willing to survive and reproduce).

Our current society and economy is based on credit. We build today with tomorrows income. This conflicts with considerations regarding over population. Who would buy and spend if the next generation is not there to consume products? Who will support the growing elderly population without young people? Advances in medicine extends human life thats why we have growing elderly demographic. Some Developed countries have actual problems with declining birth rate and growing elderly demographic. It troubles me when i see this conflict on our planet and how we organize our society. So far, capitalism and consumerism is the best form of social organization humans have thought of. It brought unparalled prosperity for humans and great suffering and tragedy for other species. Whether factory farming or wholesale extinction of species, these were necessary bricks to build our affluence.

We are both Overpopulated but need new young people. Should we sacrifice our belief in human rights and abandon the elderly to squalor and poverty? How can we limit our population but maintain affluence for everyone? The two concepts (overpopulation and the need for young demographic) are contradictory and frightening to me.

If we maintain our consumerism and capitalism society, we must rely on scientists to find humanity new powers(fusion technology, space travel perhaps?) to support our present affluence before the credit comes due. Is there a better way to organize our societies?

They don’t. Until quite recently they had no choice. Men felt the need to have sex and children happened. Women are now able to prevent children from happening if they take the trouble. In societies where men allow women to be educated and to use birth control, the number of children born to women on the average is low, often below the number needed to keep a population stable. That’s good, since the planet is vastly overpopulated by human beings.

They don’t. At least not all of them. If nobody had children, humanity would die out. Wouldn’t be a great loss for the planet, if you ask me.