P is for Population Control

One way of coping with the issues of overpopulation and dwindling resources is to institute policies concerning population control.  Today we see population control being implemented in China, where the population already exceeds 1 billion. It is hardly surprising that science fiction writers have envisioned worlds where such control is mandated by the government.

One way of controlling the population is to control who gives birth and how many babies are allowed.  In the novel Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Ender Wiggin is bullied for being a “third.”  In a world where families are almost always restricted to bearing only two children, Ender is singled out by this.  Some see him as someone who shouldn’t exist in the first place.

We also see futures where people are required to obtain a license before having children.  In worlds where this is the norm, how do you decide who gets a license and who doesn’t?  Is it based on genetics and intelligence?  What are the ethical implications of this kind of eugenics program?  How do you balance the interests of humanity as a whole with the rights of the individual?  Should the government have any right to limit how many children their citizens have?

Sometimes people are expected to forfeit their lives.  This helps control the population, as well as eliminates many issues associated with end-of-life care.  We see this in Logan’s Run and the episode “Half a Life” from Star Trek TNG.  Should the government be able to determine when its citizens die?  How do you determine when a person’s life should end?  How can such a determination ever be made when each person’s circumstances are different?  Consider all the contributions these people might have possibly been able to make to the world had they been allowed to live.  Is the harm done to society by cutting off that potential worth the benefits of such a policy?

In the Sliders episode “Luck of the Draw,” people voluntarily take part in the lottery.  Those who win get money and all sorts of perks, but most of that will be enjoyed by their families as the winners will forfeit their lives soon after.  Should people be encouraged to make that kind of sacrifice?  Is this kind of voluntary system preferable to one that limits one’s right to have children, or should the lives of those who already exist take precedence?

What other versions of population control have you seen depicted, and what are the ethical ramifications?

D is for Dystopian Fiction

Dystopian futures have often been depicted in science fiction.  George Orwell’s 1984, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, and the more recent Hunger Games trilogy from Suzanne Collins are just a few well-known examples of a dystopian fiction.  Dystopian novels and films have long been a popular part of sci-fi.  As humans, we know that darkness looms within us, and human-built societal structures can either bring out the best or the worst in us.  Anything we as humans build, after all, are reflections of ourselves.  Those flawed systems benefit a select few at the expense of others.  Personal liberties are curtailed in a myriad of ways, whether it be through a restriction of speech, of personal belief, of political power, of personal relationships, etc.  In a dystopian society, poverty is often a fact of life, as those in power keep a majority of wealth for themselves.

Though I could perform an in-depth analysis of each kind of dystopian society portrayed in fiction, I would instead like to contemplate why people enjoy reading about them or seeing them depicted in film.  Often times we indulge in fantasy to escape the real world, but dystopian fiction is hardly the type of fiction that promotes escapism.  Perhaps reading about such a stark existence may help you to appreciate the things you have, but there’s something more to our love of these bleak scenarios.

Maybe we are intrigued by fictional dystopian societies because our world has its own history of them, and that kind of darkness that exists in our past intrigues us.  Perhaps we simply like the see the hero or heroine of the story stand up against incredible odds and triumph.  Who doesn’t like to see an underdog succeed, or at the very least, put up a brave fight until the bitter end?  Perhaps it gives us hope to see that, no matter how bad things get, the better nature of humanity still shines bright.

Which elements of various dystopian futures do you see in today’s society?  Why do you think dystopian stories captivate readers?  What would you count as a dystopian society, taking into account that said society is creating a comfortable existence for some?

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