Reproductive rights in an overpopulated world : An ethical overview of the situation, the problems and the potential solutions

The purpose of this essay is to examine the relation between reproductive rights and overpopulation. The main research question is whether the increase of the population size can affect the moral aspects of the reproductive rights. Relying on, and building upon arguments already developed by a number of philosophers, I show that although some restrictions might be justified, these restrictions cannot completely rule out the basic right to reproduction. Based on this, I then proceed with an overview of the possible solutions. In the subsequent discussion, a one-child-per-couple philosophy stands out as the best option. This would be morally justified according to the initial statements, as well as the most effective alternative when it comes to initiating a significant population decline. The one-child-per-couple philosophy is then contested by several problems that could theoretically arise, but none of these problems are, according to my discussion, strong enough to dispute the positive aspects of the theory. The conclusion of this essay is that we, as a species, have a moral obligation to limit our numbers and that we ought to start acting accordingly