Sage School of Philosophy

Abstract:

Two-thirds of humanity now live in states where fertility rates have fallen below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman (Madgavkar et al. 2025, 3). Even states with high standards of living, where one would expect citizens to be optimistic about the prospects of their children such as France, Australia, and Japan have found themselves with fewer than two children per woman—with France at 1.9, Australia at 1.5, and Japan at 1.4. With current trends, some countries could see their populations shrink by up to 50% by the turn of the century (Ibid). How should liberal states respond, given that these changes will significantly disrupt retirement systems and government services like healthcare and aged care? In this talk, I will explore the ethical complexities around potential solutions like boosting fertility, delaying retirement, improving productivity, and increasing skilled migration.