In Brave New World, society “hatches” children instead of women giving birth. We know where that leads…
Now, some are extolling using artificial wombs as a means of guaranteeing women “equality.” From,“The End of Pregnancy,” by Reihan Salam:
I think Tong is probably right and that something essential would be lost if pregnancy becomes obsolete. Yet, artificial wombs still seem inevitable. The powerful, feeling-filled bond between a mother and her child is a big part of what leads working mothers to take their child-rearing responsibilities more seriously than working fathers.
If this essential difference is the problem, if it is the root of gender equality in the workplace, and if our highest priority is to eliminate gender inequality, then ectogenesis offers a way forward.
And here I thought the “highest priority” was to have well-adjusted and happy children. Oh, Wesley, you’re so 1950s!
Of course, if there were artificial wombs and a woman didn’t want to be pregnant, there would be a solution that could both save the baby and give the woman “choice.”
Right, that’ll really fly!