Monday, Nov. 4: L.A. Paul, "What you can't expect when you're expecting"

Please join us for a presentation by Professor Laurie Paul, Department of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

What you can't expect when you're expecting

Abstract: It seems natural to choose whether to have a child by reflecting on what it would be like to actually have a child. I argue that this natural approach fails. If you choose to become a parent, and your choice is based on projections about what you think it would be like for you to have a child, your choice is not rational. If you choose to remain childless, and your choice is based upon projections about what you think it would be like for you to have a child, your choice is not rational. This suggests we should reject our ordinary conception of how to make this life-changing decision, and raises general questions about how to rationally approach important life choices.

Monday, November 4, 12:00-1:30pm in 3105 Tolman Hall