Begetting: What Does It Mean to Create a Child?

In this eye-opening treatise, philosopher van der Lugt (Dark Matters) challenges received wisdom about having children, a life milestone she notes has only in relatively recent history become a choice. Overviewing cultural procreation “narratives,” the author interrogates and mostly dismisses notions that having kids marks a moral “coming of age” or is an inherent act of virtue. In the process, she draws on a colorful mix of philosophical and cultural references, noting, for example, that the “romantic” notion that “any parent will be a good parent, by the mere fact of parenthood” is dismissed by reluctant father Toby from The West Wing, who warns that “it’s not automatic.” Exactly where van der Lugt lands on the question of whether to have children is less clear; while she claims not to fully agree with anti-natalists like David Benatar and considers “better reasons” to procreate such as passing on one’s values, those analyses tend to lack the passion of her critiques. Still, her assertion that having a child “should fill us with awe and trepidation, with infinite caution” rings true. The author’s contagious intellectual curiosity—and willingness to make room for unanswered questions—will keep readers glued to the page. It’s an ambitious look at some of life’s most foundational questions. (Apr.)