The Mirror of Depopulation: Reflections from The Children of Men and Universe 25
Depopulation is a phenomenon that goes beyond the mere numerical reduction of individuals in a society; it affects the economic, social, and psychological structure of communities. Although discussions often focus on its causes and immediate consequences, two works offer a deeper perspective on its implications: P.D. James’s novel The Children of Men and John B. Calhoun’s experiment Universe 25. The former presents a world where infertility has doomed humanity to extinction, while the latter studies how overpopulation can lead to social collapse even under conditions of abundance. Through these two references, the economic, social, emotional, and philosophical dimensions of depopulation will be analyzed, revealing its complexity and the need for a comprehensive approach to understanding its effects.
Economic Dimension: The Paralysis of Productivity
One of the most immediate effects of depopulation is its impact on the economy. In The Children of Men, the lack of new generations has led to a progressive economic collapse: entire industries, from toy manufacturing to education, have disappeared, and employment has drastically decreased. Without a young population to drive consumption and production, the economic foundations of society erode. This same phenomenon is observed in the decline of rural areas today, where the emigration of young people leaves communities with a reduced tax base and a stagnant economy.
In Universe 25, although the issue is overpopulation rather than depopulation, the final result is similar: when population density reaches critical levels, productivity collapses. The mice stop engaging in essential behaviors such as exploration and territorial defense, leading to the deterioration of group structure. This resonates with the economic crisis in human societies experiencing demographic decline, where the lack of skilled workers and an aging population lead to reduced innovation and production.
Social Dimension: The Collapse of Community Networks
The consequences of depopulation are not limited to economics; they also transform social structures. In P.D. James’s novel, humanity has lost its sense of community, and interpersonal relationships have been reduced to individual survival. Support networks have disappeared, and violence has become normalized in a society where the future no longer exists. Similarly, in Universe 25, extreme density leads to group fragmentation. Individuals known as “the beautiful ones” emerge — mice that reject social interaction and live in isolation, avoiding reproduction and contact with others. This phenomenon is comparable to social fragmentation in declining human societies, where isolation and the loss of community cohesion lead to a deterioration in collective well-being.
The decline of community is also evident in depopulated regions, where the migration of young people and the lack of generational renewal have made the elderly the predominant population. With fewer individuals to sustain culture, traditions, and support networks, a cycle emerges in which depopulation further accelerates the breakdown of social fabric.
Emotional Dimension: The Psychology of the Void
Depopulation also has devastating psychological effects. In The Children of Men, infertility has plunged humanity into deep despair. Without children or a future, people lose their purpose and resort to superficial distractions or extreme hedonism to avoid facing reality. This lack of motivation to build a future generates a climate of apathy and collective despair.
In Universe 25, a similar phenomenon is observed. As the experiment progresses, the mice stop engaging in reproductive behaviors and exhibit self-destructive tendencies. The lack of purpose and the inability to adapt to a new reality lead them to indifference and, eventually, extinction. This reflects what happens in many human communities affected by depopulation: increased suicide rates, depression, and social isolation are symptoms of an emotional crisis stemming from the loss of future prospects.
Philosophical Dimension: The Meaning of Existence
Beyond its practical effects, depopulation also raises fundamental questions about the meaning of life and the purpose of human existence. In The Children of Men, humanity faces not only biological extinction but also cultural and moral extinction. Infertility does not just mean the end of the species but the disappearance of human legacy. The novel forces readers to ask: what is the purpose of progress if there is no one to inherit it?
In Universe 25, the disappearance of recognizable social roles and the individuals’ indifference to their environment lead to system collapse. This experiment illustrates how, when interactions between individuals cease to be meaningful, society loses its cohesion and collapses. In the human world, depopulation can generate similar crises if a new paradigm is not found to reconcile technological progress with the preservation of sustainable communities.
Depopulation is a complex phenomenon that impacts multiple dimensions of human life. Through the analysis of The Children of Men and Universe 25, it becomes clear that its effects are not merely demographic but encompass the economy, social structure, collective psychology, and, crucially, the survival of cultures themselves. The decline in human population is often framed as a purely numerical issue, but it is just as much about the erosion of traditions, languages, values, and ways of life. When civilizations undergo demographic collapse, they risk not only a shrinking population but also the transformation — or disappearance — of their cultural identity. Furthermore, depopulation is not merely an abstract problem — it is deeply personal, akin to decisions about diet or lifestyle. Encouraging people to have children is not a straightforward solution, as it involves profound personal, economic, and cultural factors that make persuasion or enforcement nearly impossible. Unlike past population bottlenecks, where external pressures such as climate shifts or disease limited human numbers, today’s depopulation crisis is unique in that it is largely driven by choice. Historically, societies emerging from population crises have been aligned toward growth and expansion, with cultural norms strongly reinforcing reproduction. Now, for the first time in history, declining birth rates stem from shifting values, urbanization, economic concerns, and changing lifestyles, with many individuals and societies actively choosing smaller or no families. This marks an unprecedented cultural shift with uncertain long-term consequences. The loss of social cohesion, lack of purpose, and inability to sustain functional economic structures are just some of the consequences of a world where population declines without adequate compensatory mechanisms.
However, from the perspective of antifragility, depopulation does not necessarily imply an inevitable decline. Societies that learn to adapt by fostering decentralized governance, flexible labor markets, and resilient community structures can emerge stronger. In The Children of Men, the few who resist despair find meaning through new forms of solidarity and purpose, suggesting that adaptive mechanisms can counteract collapse.
Both works may offer interesting lessons: the need to preserve community networks, the value of functional social structures, and the importance of maintaining a balance between progress and the continuity of human life. This issue is also framed within evolutionary dynamics — where certain population structures and strategies can be advantageous or detrimental depending on their proportion within society. Just as in ecosystems where a balance between productive individuals and opportunistic ones determines sustainability, human populations also oscillate between growth and decline based on social, economic, and cultural conditions. If birth rates fall too drastically, societies risk reaching an ecological viability threshold, where reproduction alone can no longer sustain numbers for recovery. If approached through an antifragile lens, depopulation could serve as a catalyst for societal reorganization, leading to the emergence of more adaptable, sustainable, and innovative communities. However, even if human numbers could eventually recover, civilization as we know it may not. The Children of Men paints a picture of a world where, in the absence of new generations, societies do not merely shrink — they fundamentally change. In history, societies that repopulated after crises did so under cultural paradigms that encouraged growth and renewal. Today, the cultural frameworks that once drove population expansion are fading, and there is no guarantee that future societies will adopt similar reproductive incentives. This means that even if human numbers eventually stabilize, the values, traditions, and institutions that define modern civilization may be lost or irreversibly altered. However, beyond mere demographic numbers, the real concern may be the survival of specific cultures rather than humanity as a whole. The demographic contrast between European societies with low birth rates and African or Islamic communities with higher reproductive rates illustrates how depopulation is not only about numbers but also about cultural transformation. The challenge is not just human viability but the preservation of cultural identities within shifting demographic landscapes. In a world where depopulation is already a reality in many regions, reflecting on these issues is not just a theoretical concern but a practical urgency for the future of humanity.
As with pandemics, this multiplicative process should be taken care of as soon as possible, because it is way easier to kill the monster in the egg.
