I like Eliezer’s solution better. Rather than wait until exponential population growth eats all the resources, we just impose population control at the start and let every married couple have a max of two children. That way, population grows at most linearly (assuming immortality).
Broadly speaking, I’m suspicious of social solutions to problems that will persist for geological periods of time. If we’re playing the civilization game for the long haul, then the threat of overpopulation could simply wait out any particular legal regime or government.
That argument goes hinky in the event of FAI singleton, of course.
I like Eliezer’s solution better. Rather than wait until exponential population growth eats all the resources, we just impose population control at the start and let every married couple have a max of two children. That way, population grows at most linearly (assuming immortality).
Broadly speaking, I’m suspicious of social solutions to problems that will persist for geological periods of time. If we’re playing the civilization game for the long haul, then the threat of overpopulation could simply wait out any particular legal regime or government.
That argument goes hinky in the event of FAI singleton, of course.