Lunch from 12:00 · Seminar 12:45–13:45 · Registration required
Open to everyone interested in space ethics. We welcome researchers, students, practitioners, space professionals and anyone curious about the ethical, social and political questions raised by humanity’s activities beyond Earth.
The series is convened by Dr Koji Tachibana, Academic Lead, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Chiba University and Academic Visitor at the Uehiro Oxford Institute.
Description:
Before too long, humans may establish permanent settlements on other planets and moons, and this may entail procreation off-Earth. This raises serious ethical issues explored in this talk. Given the harsh conditions and lower prospects for wellbeing faced by people born in space settlements, we must ask whether it is permissible to reproduce in such circumstances. Against the sceptical position common in the literature, we argue that procreation off-Earth may be permissible if certain conditions are met. We argue that a plausible threshold for permissible procreation can be grounded in needs-based sufficientarianism, according to which future people should have the basic needs essential for autonomous pursuit of a good life. Whether this threshold can be met will depend on the specific conditions of the settlement. Because space habitats require extensive life-support systems, procreation is not merely a private matter. It has a distinctly political dimension: procreation in such contexts presupposes reliable systems and institutions capable of maintaining a sufficiently good life. If these cannot be provided, then space settlements should not be based on reproduction.
Speakers:
Dr Oskari Sivula, Department of Practical Philosophy, University of Helsinki
Dr Gary David O'Brien, Department of Philosophy, Lingnan University; Hong Kong Catastrophic Risk Centre, Lingnan University
Lunch is provided. Please register and indicate any dietary requirements.
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