Philosophical Questions: Pregnancy

[ysabetwordsmith]

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

How would society change if men were able to get pregnant and men and women both had an equal chance of getting pregnant?


Abortion and birth control would be free and legal everywhere. Family leave would be generous. Childcare would be free. It would be a lot better all around.

Comments

[cmcmck]

And then again if men did and we didn't?

[siliconshaman]

...and the ads for male contraceptives would be endless.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

LOL yes.

I like your ideas

[dialecticdreamer]

BUT they wouldn't happen immediately. At least two generations would have to deal with the shame and ostracization of some version of "confinement" or "a semester abroad" for the young men to LOOK pregnant in seclusion and give birth. Look how badly we treat transmen who get pregnant: they're either some kind of specimen to stare at, or a sign of the apocalypse, with almost NOTHING in the way of genuine positive well-wishes for impending parenthood.

At LEAST two Christian sects would flip their wigs if someone tried to enfold pregnant men OPENLY under the existing laws against hate crimes. That would start even more prurient nonsense from the media, but the next step would be the token neighbor in a sitcom, then drama, etc.

It would basically follow the same social path as for gay men in the last century. I just hope that it won't take nearly so long. Men have a strong social position, but that means that they also have an equally strong pressure to maintain that collective advantage.

Re: I like your ideas

[ysabetwordsmith]

If men developed the ability to get pregnant, it would be a big mess. But if they had it all along, society would have developed differently, without some of the big gender gaps we have here.

Re: I like your ideas

[dialecticdreamer]

Which makes the discussion if humans had always had the "Which of us carries the baby this time?" discussion as an option rather a moot point; the society would be leagues away from what we have now.

Re: I like your ideas

[ysabetwordsmith]

The prevailing trend in nature is that species with lower sexual dimorphism and mutual raising of offspring tend to be more cooperative and egalitarian. Hermaphrodite species tend to go for mutual fertilization, like earthworms. But there are some creepy outliers. Nudibranchs engage in penile fencing, each intending to stab the other and then scram, leaving the loser with the higher metabolic burden of pregnancy. Given human behavior, I find this a disturbingly plausible scenario also.

I don't think bonobos would change at all. They already solve their problems with sex and have a peaceful society.

Re: I like your ideas

[dialecticdreamer]

The laws would change rapidly to raise the consequences of unwanted pregnancy, that's almost guaranteed.

[warriorsavant]

I wouldn't count on it's suddenly being a paradise for contraception and abortion. Might be more common, but the religious and hierarchical types would still want massive population.

One of the problems

[dialecticdreamer]

One of the problems is part of both Christianity and Islam; they want to overwhelm the competition with pure numbers, and birth membership is more "durable" than conversion.