The math requires a lot of variables we don’t have, but the main counterargument is just that real cultures do all kinds of things counterproductive from a birthrate perspective, from convents to wars, and so far the only ones who have managed to underpopulate themselves into nonexistence are the Shakers, who practiced universal celibacy.
Alan Robertshaw
9 years ago
Yeah, we’re pretty robust as a species. No matter what you throw at us we keep on increasing (In your face Black Death!!).
You raise all sorts of interesting points.
I’m not sure war is necessarily counterproductive to birthrate anyway. Even during war time people have lots of sex whether that’s from a rational “Well, one of us may be killed so no point waiting to have kids” or danger making people randy. And of course there’s often a baby boomer thing after any war that more than makes up for the losses.
I don’t think that would change either in your scenario where on average 50% of service people would be women or even in a society where the armed forces were 100% women, if the armed forces were the usual proportion of the population that they are. One thing I find interesting in your scenario is that that society would have a huge military proportionate to population.
The math requires a lot of variables we don’t have, but the main counterargument is just that real cultures do all kinds of things counterproductive from a birthrate perspective, from convents to wars, and so far the only ones who have managed to underpopulate themselves into nonexistence are the Shakers, who practiced universal celibacy.
Yeah, we’re pretty robust as a species. No matter what you throw at us we keep on increasing (In your face Black Death!!).
You raise all sorts of interesting points.
I’m not sure war is necessarily counterproductive to birthrate anyway. Even during war time people have lots of sex whether that’s from a rational “Well, one of us may be killed so no point waiting to have kids” or danger making people randy. And of course there’s often a baby boomer thing after any war that more than makes up for the losses.
I don’t think that would change either in your scenario where on average 50% of service people would be women or even in a society where the armed forces were 100% women, if the armed forces were the usual proportion of the population that they are. One thing I find interesting in your scenario is that that society would have a huge military proportionate to population.
6 years since I quit smoking. 🙂