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避孕 |
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錯綜複雜的問題
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歷史記載:
限制人口規模 |
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尼古拉斯•普珊：摩西從尼羅河被搭救（細部），1654
N.
Poussin: Moses saved from the river (detail), 1654
Ashmolean博物館，牛津大學，英國
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
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人類的歷史，一直是一個試圖限制人口增長的歷史。有時，限制人口增長是為了某種政治目的；但是，大多數的時候，限制人口增長是食物匱乏或空間狹小的原因。在古希臘，有兩種限制人口數量的過激做法：殺嬰和棄嬰於自然環境（任憑自然之力的選擇）。在古埃及，這兩種限制人口數量的方法也曾盛行。例如，聖經上說，到了某種人口限度的時候，法老便命令接生婆殺掉以色列人的男嬰。因而，尚為嬰兒的摩西被置於籃子裏，飄到了尼羅河。摩西的母親暗暗地期待他會被人發現，不過他還是偶然地被搭救了（出埃及第一章：第十六節和出埃及第二章：第三至五節）。古希臘的克利特島則採用完全不同的方法來限制人口數量。如古希臘哲學家亞裏斯多德在其著作《政治學》（第二章：第十節）中提道：克里特島政府通過鼓勵同性戀來防止人口過剩。 |
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Contraception |
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A Complex Issue
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Historical
Notes: Limiting Population Size |
Throughout history, there have been attempts to
limit the growth of populations. Sometimes these measures pursued certain political aims, but most often the reasons were insufficient food or a lack of space. In ancient Greece, two drastic methods were infanticide and exposure of the newborn to the elements. Both of these methods were also known in ancient Egypt. For example, as the Bible tells us, at one point the Pharao ordered the midwives to kill all male children of the Israelites. Thus, the baby
Moses was put in a basket to float down the Nile. His mother secretely hoped he would be found, but he was saved only by accident (Exodus 1:16 and Exodus 2: 3-5). Quite another method was employed by the island of Crete. As the ancient Greek philosopher
Aristotle reports in his book "Politics" (II, 10), the Cretan government prevented overpopulation by encouraging homosexuality.
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