Norie Lyn D.

Sapanta
AB-Philosophy IV
Artificial Birth Control
What is Artificial Birth Control?
Artificial Birth Control or more commonly known as Contraceptives is a product or
practice that uses artificial or unnatural means to prevent pregnancy.
There are three common methods of ABC. The barrier, hormonal and surgical
sterilization method. The barrier method prevents the sperm from reaching an egg. (i.e Condoms,
spermicides, cervical caps and contraceptive sponges) then the hormonal method tricks your
hormones and delays ovulation. (i.e Birth control pills, most common) and Surgical Sterilization
is a permanent method of contraception. This method is intended for men and women who do
not intend to have children in the future. (i.e Vasectomy, Tubal Litigation).
The effectiveness in preventing pregnancy depends upon the birth control method used.
Condoms, withdrawal and Fertility-Awareness methods got 18% or more, birth control pills and
diaphragms 6-12%. While Implants like Intrauterine Devices (IUD) and Surgical Sterilization
method got less than 1% unintended pregnancies per 100 women in a year. (U.S Department of
Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Do we need ABC?
In Thomas Malthus’ essay on the Principle of Population. His theory states that there is
an exponential population growth and arithmetic food supply growth. Malthus then argued that
because there will be higher population than the availability of food, many people will die from
the shortage of food. He theorized that this correction will take place in the form of Positive
Checks (or Natural Checks) and Preventative Checks. These checks would bring the population
level back to a ‘sustainable level’.

The current world population of 7.6 billion is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 in
2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100. With roughly 83 million people being added to the world’s
population every year, the upward trend in population size is expected to continue. (United
Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.)

“Ehrlich, a Stanford University population biologist, wrote a 1968 bestseller called The

Population Bomb, which warned of mass starvation in the 1970s and 1980s because of
overpopulation. Even though he drastically missing that forecast, he continues to argue
that humanity is heading for calamity.” National Geographic.

Feeding a large population like China will be indeed a difficult task, even under the best
circumstances. However having enough food for its people, will be even more difficult for china
in the years ahead due to a number of factors, including increased competition from a growing
global population, the reduction of the country’s agricultural work force as millions of Chinese
farmers flock to the cities. Food quality has become also become a big issue. Over the last five
years, Chinese consumers have had to contend with from drinking soiled milk, eating expired
meat and dogs just to avoid starvation.
Now, is it morally permissible to implement the use of contraceptives as a policy for population
control?
In evaluation of the moral rightness or wrongness of Artificial Birth Control this case will
utilize the principles of utility using Jeremy Bentham’s Felicific Calculus and Natural law using
one of St. Thomas Aquinas’ 7 basic goods.
Jeremy Bentham’s felicific calculus implies that in order to determine the right course of
action in a given situation, we should always consider the amount of pleasure or pains that it will
produce. More particularly his felicific calculus revolves around on 7 factors: Intensity,
Duration, Certainty, Propinquity, Fecundity (the chance that a pleasure is followed by other
pleasures or a pain by further pains), Purity (the chance that pleasure is followed by pains and
vice versa), and Extent (the number of persons affected).

Based on the given facts, it is certain that there will be an exponential growth in the world
population and in the whole duration of an increasing population of 7.6 billion (2018) will
increase to 11.2 billion or higher in 2100. Will have a huge impact on us and our planet. The
intensity of the impact of an overpopulated country’s demands and consumption of resources,
will then result to land degradation, more production of wastes, pollution, poverty, starvation and
death. (Purity)
For a country's ability to feed itself depends on three factors: availability of fertile land,
accessible water and population pressures. Therefore the more people there are, especially in a
country with limited amount of land and resources will consequently result to poverty. (Extent)
Poverty will occur when people are unable to meet their basic needs for adequate food, water,
shelter, health and education due to the scarcity of resources. This means that there will be lack
of access to adequate sanitation facilities, enough fuel, electricity, adequate health care, clean
drinking water, adequate housing, and enough food for good health. If basic needs cannot be
met, development stalls and economies will collapse. (Fecundity)
The increase in demand can outpace the economic development of a country, there would
be a decrease in environmental and natural resources that will then lead to an imbalance. That’s
why China with current population of 1,416,516,621 (as of, October 7, 2018, based on the latest
United Nations estimates) had to take preventive measures to ensure population, economic and
environmental control. Therefore, it is ethical to utilize ABC for it prevents future beings from
pain and suffering caused by lack of resources and hunger. And in order to maintain and bring a
country/ the world’s population back to a sustainable level.
June 21, 2017, World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, United Nations,
https://www.un.org/development/desa/publications/world-population-prospects-the-2017-
revision.html
Perkowski, Jack, Sept 24, 2014, China’s Growing Food Problem/ Opportunity, Forbes,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2014/09/25/chinas-growing-food-
problemopportunity/#2fdae7fa4811
Dimick Dennis, Sept 21, 2014, As World Population Booms will its rescources be enough for us,
National Geographic, https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140920-population-
11billion-demographics-anthropocene/
Martin, Roger, Oct 23, 2011, Why Current population costing us the earth, Guardian,
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/oct/23/why-population-growth-costs-the-earth-
roger
Lane, Justin, Aug 24, 2017, Overpopulation: Coming face to face with a global food shortage in
the coming century, Medium, https://medium.com/@justin_lane/overpopulation-coming-face-to-
face-with-a-global-food-shortage-in-the-coming-century-1b67fec0f9d9