Modern Approach to Population Control Based on Libertarian Paternalism
Is the existing Concept of Liberalism Out-dated? (the content, a bit analytical, relates to population control)
None of the theories of this world would ever remain constant! Newtonian Concept of Gravitation has also been challenged and no wonder! In the steadily kinetic scenario of the world, revision & evolution of existing theories are quite obvious scientific phenomenon!
Recognizing the theory of 'Libertarian Paternalism' of Richard H Thelar in Economics this year with the Nobel Prize, legitimately challenges the acceptability of classical liberalism as a modern concept any more! Rather, we may say that classical liberalism in its existing form is no more a modern concept, but outdated indeed!
Have the liberals been able to assimilate the newly evolved form of Liberalism?
Libertarian Paternalism...i.e. the theory of attempting to influence the psyche, thought process & thus, the choices of a person from a paternal point of view under a set of given conditions.
The classical liberalism is based on an assumption that every human being himself is the best judge to decide what is the best choice for him. And hence the society should create such provisions to let him be free to do whatever he feels like! That's how the modern civilized society should be!
According to Richard Thelar, "The modest goal of this essay is to encourage economists to rethink their views on paternalism. We believe that the anti paternalistic fervor expressed by many economists is based on a combination of a false assumption and at least two misconception. The false assumption is that people always (usually?) make choices that are in their best interest. This claim is either tautological, and therefore uninteresting, or testable. We claim that it is testable and false -- indeed, obviously false."
However, Thaler expressed unambiguously that a person should be free to choose for himself. That's fundamental. However, Thelar elaborated, we may try to create an impact from a paternal viewpoint on his psyche that would amount to & result in influencing his choices for his well being.
It's not about imposing one's own choices on others, rather it's more subtle. He spoke of influencing the psyche of a person, indirectly but consciously so that his choices change from within; and for a better outcome under a given set of conditions.
This means that instead of upholding the morale of 'doing whatever I feel like', we ought to try to influence the taste, choices & outlook of people, indeed from a paternal viewpoint, but with a libertarian attitude, which too, is equally important with that of paternalism!
That's the concept of Thelar's Libertarian Paternalism. And this is a contrarian view of intrusiveness & more rational than 'old liberalism' with respect to the changing face of the world.
From this point of view, Bangladesh offering the option of wilful castration to the Rohingyas, is an excellent & wise administrative step & decision!
Population is a glaring challenge in a huge part of today's world! Hence, humane approach to population-control is a timely and extremely rational attempt, especially in those geographical areas where population-density is too high and amongst the people of certain anthropological origin whose fertility & birth-rate are pretty high with respect to the space available to them. The academic & practical rationale of population control should be promulgated & propagated to the mass not only locally but from some global forum.
The people who are giving birth to too many children, must be made conscious about the fact that the lifestyle & quality of life of them & their close neighbourhood is deteriorating day by day due to huge population pressure.
That, then, would be an excellent, timely application of the Libertarian Paternalism in this sphere.
In the whole world, the maximum number of children that a woman may give birth to, irrespective of her caste, creed, race & country, should depend upon her own health conditions, financial conditions, provision of space for the newborn population & ability to assure them the minimum required quality of life by the parents as well as by the State. And this number should be scheduled & standardized depending on multi-parameter evaluation of the concerned woman. The scheduled number of maximum allowable number of children has to necessarily vary from person to person. The concerned woman may bear that scheduled number or lesser in her total reproductive phase.
Right to sex is physiologically a fundamental right. But right to give birth to children should depend on other factors as it affects not only collective social living but also those children who are born. And the society in which human beings in general are equally conscious about both their rights & responsibilities, is truly an ultra-modern society.
Likewise, if Rohingyas beg for shelter from India, our country may offer them shelter only in lieu of mandatory castration & ligation of their men, women & children beyond a particular age-limit. However, Rohingyas too, would have fullest liberty not to agree to this condition & hence may leave India & suitably place themselves somewhere else.
However, for the sake of a better future of Rohingyas themselves, some global forum should act prompt to aid them control their population. Otherwise, devastation of not only human civilization, but also the whole environment is inevitable.
Truthful & wise application of Libertarian Paternalism may direct & drive human civilization to a newer & brighter futuristic exponent. It may expand the horizon of meritocratic development of the global human resources in totality, leading towards a newer dawn of human civilization!
None of the theories of this world would ever remain constant! Newtonian Concept of Gravitation has also been challenged and no wonder! In the steadily kinetic scenario of the world, revision & evolution of existing theories are quite obvious scientific phenomenon!
Recognizing the theory of 'Libertarian Paternalism' of Richard H Thelar in Economics this year with the Nobel Prize, legitimately challenges the acceptability of classical liberalism as a modern concept any more! Rather, we may say that classical liberalism in its existing form is no more a modern concept, but outdated indeed!
Have the liberals been able to assimilate the newly evolved form of Liberalism?
Libertarian Paternalism...i.e. the theory of attempting to influence the psyche, thought process & thus, the choices of a person from a paternal point of view under a set of given conditions.
The classical liberalism is based on an assumption that every human being himself is the best judge to decide what is the best choice for him. And hence the society should create such provisions to let him be free to do whatever he feels like! That's how the modern civilized society should be!
According to Richard Thelar, "The modest goal of this essay is to encourage economists to rethink their views on paternalism. We believe that the anti paternalistic fervor expressed by many economists is based on a combination of a false assumption and at least two misconception. The false assumption is that people always (usually?) make choices that are in their best interest. This claim is either tautological, and therefore uninteresting, or testable. We claim that it is testable and false -- indeed, obviously false."
However, Thaler expressed unambiguously that a person should be free to choose for himself. That's fundamental. However, Thelar elaborated, we may try to create an impact from a paternal viewpoint on his psyche that would amount to & result in influencing his choices for his well being.
It's not about imposing one's own choices on others, rather it's more subtle. He spoke of influencing the psyche of a person, indirectly but consciously so that his choices change from within; and for a better outcome under a given set of conditions.
This means that instead of upholding the morale of 'doing whatever I feel like', we ought to try to influence the taste, choices & outlook of people, indeed from a paternal viewpoint, but with a libertarian attitude, which too, is equally important with that of paternalism!
That's the concept of Thelar's Libertarian Paternalism. And this is a contrarian view of intrusiveness & more rational than 'old liberalism' with respect to the changing face of the world.
From this point of view, Bangladesh offering the option of wilful castration to the Rohingyas, is an excellent & wise administrative step & decision!
Population is a glaring challenge in a huge part of today's world! Hence, humane approach to population-control is a timely and extremely rational attempt, especially in those geographical areas where population-density is too high and amongst the people of certain anthropological origin whose fertility & birth-rate are pretty high with respect to the space available to them. The academic & practical rationale of population control should be promulgated & propagated to the mass not only locally but from some global forum.
The people who are giving birth to too many children, must be made conscious about the fact that the lifestyle & quality of life of them & their close neighbourhood is deteriorating day by day due to huge population pressure.
That, then, would be an excellent, timely application of the Libertarian Paternalism in this sphere.
In the whole world, the maximum number of children that a woman may give birth to, irrespective of her caste, creed, race & country, should depend upon her own health conditions, financial conditions, provision of space for the newborn population & ability to assure them the minimum required quality of life by the parents as well as by the State. And this number should be scheduled & standardized depending on multi-parameter evaluation of the concerned woman. The scheduled number of maximum allowable number of children has to necessarily vary from person to person. The concerned woman may bear that scheduled number or lesser in her total reproductive phase.
Right to sex is physiologically a fundamental right. But right to give birth to children should depend on other factors as it affects not only collective social living but also those children who are born. And the society in which human beings in general are equally conscious about both their rights & responsibilities, is truly an ultra-modern society.
Likewise, if Rohingyas beg for shelter from India, our country may offer them shelter only in lieu of mandatory castration & ligation of their men, women & children beyond a particular age-limit. However, Rohingyas too, would have fullest liberty not to agree to this condition & hence may leave India & suitably place themselves somewhere else.
However, for the sake of a better future of Rohingyas themselves, some global forum should act prompt to aid them control their population. Otherwise, devastation of not only human civilization, but also the whole environment is inevitable.
Truthful & wise application of Libertarian Paternalism may direct & drive human civilization to a newer & brighter futuristic exponent. It may expand the horizon of meritocratic development of the global human resources in totality, leading towards a newer dawn of human civilization!
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