Moral Callings and the Duty to Have Children: A Response to Jeff Mitchell

Authors

James McBain, Pittsburg State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Contemporary Philosophy

Volume

XXVI

Issue

1 & 2

First Page

8

12

Publication Date

3-2004

Abstract

Jeff Mitchell argues that the good reason for having children is that parenthood is a “moral calling” and that one should heed the call out of a sense of duty and responsibility for the good of society. I argue such a “moral calling” account is mistaken, first, in that Mitchell problematically assumes the “basic intuition” is mistaken and, second, it fails to provide the epistemic conditions for the warranted belief that one would probably make a good parent (a central consideration of Mitchell’s). Thus, such a “moral calling” rationale for the having of children is not superior to rationales that focus on the individual’s self-interest.

Recommended Citation

McBain, James, "Moral Callings and the Duty to Have Children: A Response to Jeff Mitchell" (2004). Faculty Submissions. 26.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/phil_faculty/26