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That strikes me as a remarkably arbitrary line in the sand to draw (besides being conveniently self-serving) - you can apply this to literally anything that is not 100% one-sided harmless improvement.
What is the relation of child-having to being more
spiritualgrounded and invested in the human race (the human race, not just their children)'s long-term wellbeing? I'm perfectly interested in the human race's wellbeing as it is, and I've certainly met a lot of shitty parents in my life.I hope this isn't too uncharitable but your argument strikes me less as a noble God-given task for families to uphold, and more as a cope for those that have settled in life and (understandably) do not wish to rock the boat more than necessary. I'm glad for you but this does nothing to convince me you and yours are the prime candidates to hold the reins of power, especially over AI where the cope seems more transparent than usual. Enjoy your life and let me try to improve mine.
(Childless incel/acc here, to be clear.)
I mean technically yes, as an Ace as well I have some interest in generally keeping the species alive. But at the same time, it hits different when it’s your own kin. I’m rather close to nieces and nephews, and when I think about their personal futures, the entire thing just hits different. I want my nephews to personally have the option of a good life full of nice things, love and happiness. Which changes how I answer very important questions. I am much more interested in curbing crime for example when I think about my nieces walking the streets of any major city. Or about guns for the same reason — I want my kin to be able to protect themselves from the evils that exist. I also don’t want to think about my nephews and nieces being taken to a story hour to be read to by a drag queen with a very strong interest in children.
In the abstract, it’s easy to justify letting people behave any way they wish in publiC. Of course that’s because in the abstract it harms no one. Until the public has to deal with the fallout or protect themselves from those who take their liberty too far.
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Note, of course, that parents can also fall into stupid mental traps and failure modes. The position is they are just somewhat less so, as being invested in abstractions is not the same as being invested in something concrete. High-minded ideals can lead one down ridiculous paths- see EA's concern for shrimp.
In my experience, such positions tend to themselves be cope, that one finds excuses for being a selfish hedonist ("Oh, I'm not having kids for the environment," totally has nothing to do with being a perpetual adolescent who can barely take care of themselves and have no interest in the world at large). People of every stripe and position will find reasons to justify that their choices are Good and Right, and will work to reshape reality to ensure that.
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