THE ETHICIST TAP : QUESTION

 

Q : I have a question about planning for the future in light of the recent presidential election and the prospect of potentially having a dictatorship in America.

I am a 33-year-old woman. For a long time I've wanted to start a family. I'm about to start investing substantial money into family planning.

In view of climate change, overpopulation and now the result of the election, I've started to wonder if maybe it's just not meant to be.

There are so many wars going on, and with America turning isolationist, I fear for the world. It feels like everything is falling apart ; there's so much uncertainty, and it doesn't feel safe anymore.

Knowing everything we know about the strain that will be placed on our democracy, a gutting of climate protection and climate-change policy and threats to women's rights, is it right to be wanting / planning to start a family?

Or should I plan to adopt instead? Am I being overly cautious, or is it valid to reconsider? [ Name Withheld ]

The analysis and answer follows from Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah - who teaches philosophy at N.Y. U.