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避孕
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错综复杂的问题
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历史记载:
限制人口规模
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尼古拉斯•普珊：摩西从尼罗河被搭救（细部），1654
N.
Poussin: Moses saved from the river (detail), 1654
Ashmolean博物馆，牛津大学，英国
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
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人类的历史，一直是一个试图限制人口增长的历史。有时，限制人口增长是为了某种政治目的；但是，大多数的时候，限制人口增长是食物匮乏或空间狭小的原因。在古希腊，有两种限制人口数量的过激做法：杀婴和弃婴于自然环境（任凭自然之力的选择）。在古埃及，这两种限制人口数量的方法也曾盛行。例如，圣经上说，到了某种人口限度的时候，法老便命令接生婆杀掉以色列人的男婴。因而，尚为婴儿的摩西被置于篮子里，飘到了尼罗河。摩西的母亲暗暗地期待他会被人发现，不过他还是偶然地被搭救了（出埃及第一章：第十六节和出埃及第二章：第三至五节）。古希腊的克利特岛则采用完全不同的方法来限制人口数量。如古希腊哲学家亚里斯多德在其著作《政治学》（第二章：第十节）中提道：克里特岛政府通过鼓励同性恋来防止人口过剩。 |
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Contraception
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A Complex Issue
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Historical
Notes: Limiting Population Size
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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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