On Antinatalism and Euthanasia || Acharya Prashant, with Ahimsa Fellows (2023)

Acharya Prashant

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00:00So Radhika's question is that regarding antinatalism, okay, so is it high time for India to follow

00:09the one child policy like China did and is euthanasia for humans, should it be made legal

00:17in India?

00:19India is a concept, right?

00:21When you say India must do something, keeping in mind that we are some kind of a functioning

00:29democracy, at least as of today, I don't know about 2024, but at least till today we

00:39are a functioning democracy.

00:40So how can India have any kind of policy if Indians are not first of all convinced about

00:53that policy?

00:56You remember the emergency times, right?

01:01And there was a policy to control population and it was enforced and it backfired.

01:09And since then no politician has had the guts to talk about population control.

01:19So first of all, Indians have to be educated on the need and only when there is some kind

01:25of at least a loose consensus, then somebody can enact a policy and then something can be

01:35enforced as well.

01:36But if the population itself is unwilling, then such a measure would fall flat.

01:43But the good news is that probably now there is an emerging consensus and people are better

01:52educated and I hope better sense prevails because there are a lot of dissenting voices as well.

01:59People who talk of religious demographics and such things who say, you know, if this kind

02:10of a policy comes, then our numbers will shrink and the proportion of the other group would

02:15expand.

02:16If those can be somehow glossed over or ironed out, I think it's a beautiful idea to have

02:33a population control policy, a one child policy or something.

02:36At least incentivize those who have the right kind of consciousness.

02:42If you cannot disincentivize, at least help those who choose not to have kids or have just

02:50one kid.

02:51They must be strongly supported, promoted, honored.

02:58Euthanasia, well, that does not have too much to do with veganism or population control or

03:07even animal welfare or rights.

03:09Yes.

03:10But euthanasia is surely related to the matter of human dignity.

03:18When it comes to spirituality or self-knowledge, euthanasia definitely is an issue worth thinking

03:26of.

03:27So, I think it behoves human dignity to have the right to choose one's death.

03:38And euthanasia has to be distinct from suicide.

03:45It is a thing of realizing that the time has come and the body is not going to hold up.

03:53The probability of recovery is just too slim.

03:57Therefore, it does not make sense to just drag on.

04:03And when it comes to that and when medical experts can certify that the probability of revival

04:11or some kind of normal functioning life is less than, let's say, 1%, then the fellow

04:18must have the choice to opt out of life.

04:23I suppose it's dignified to go rather than just overstay your utility, your joy.

04:43No point just hanging on.

04:46Live a great life, live deeply, have challenges, have purposes, fulfill them.

04:56And then depart with honor, depart with dignity, depart as a matter of choice, not as a matter

05:02of chance or compulsion.

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