WHAT ARE CHILDREN FOR?

A wide-ranging look at why more and more women are choosing not to have children.

For centuries, having children was viewed as an inevitable life duty to be approached without much thought about the personal and philosophical consequences. However, in the past couple of decades, there has been a significant shift in opinion, particularly in Western countries, with an increasing number of women not having children, either as a conscious decision or because they are unable to make a decision at all. Berg and Wiseman, editors at The Point magazine (Berg is also a professor of philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem), dig into the reasons for this trend. Each author offers deeply felt essays about their personal experiences, and they draw on a range of survey data and interviews. Many women feel caught between social and family pressures and the desire to keep hard-won autonomy. Often, the decision to not have children is entirely practical, with financial and career concerns weighing heavily. Other women have made the decision because they see the future as a series of rolling disasters, mainly linked to climate change and pushed along by an avalanche of apocalyptic news reports and fear-mongering books. This connects to another group, which has adopted the nihilistic attitude that not just they, but everyone, should remain childless, as humanity is essentially a parasite that continues to destroy the Earth. Ultimately, Berg and Wiseman are careful to avoid a prescriptive conclusion. The real point is to make a definitive choice rather than drift into motherhood by default. “It is because having children is such a genuine commitment that only you can determine if it is the right one for you,” they conclude.

This is a brave, lucid book, and Berg and Wiseman deserve great credit for their readiness to ask tough questions.