Catherine Ruth Pakaluk is an American economist and social philosopher at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She completed her doctoral work in economics at Harvard University under Nobel laureate Oliver Hart. A mother of eight, she collaborates closely, personally and professionally, with her husband, American philosopher Michael Pakaluk. They split their time between suburban Maryland and New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
This lecture occurred on September 9, 2025 at the University of Austin.
00:00 – Preview
00:40 – Introduction
01:26 – We are in the midst of a population collapse
07:34 – The pro-natal movement doesn't exist
15:43 – How birth rates affect everyone
22:10 – No one wants horse manure in the streets
27:20 – We don't need kids today
33:15 – We don't need marriage either
34:04 – Thomas Malthus
39:27 – Do only rich people have babies?
42:45 – Desire
45:39 – Will we ever have big families again?
54:48 – Q&A: What about birth control?
56:56 – Q&A: Should we have child labor laws?
59:04 – Q&A: How does the housing market affect families?
1:03:26 – Q&A: Should non-religious women have children?
1:06:40– Q&A: Is the fertility crisis real?
1:08:22 – Q&A: Female biology
1:10:55 – Q&A: Low birth rates cause even lower birth rates
