The free choice of the number of offspring is a fundamental right, emphasised for instance by the eighth principle of the 1994 UN Cairo Conference. The idea of a population policy advocated „with coercion“ is frowned upon by churches and many NGOs. But does this policy have to be implemented with „coercion“ or are incentives enough? And where are the boundaries between constraints and incentives? The following article addresses these philosophical questions. We are recklessly ignoring the adjusting screw of population (...) policy, should also fight politically for international incentives against an increase in population and must think about population policy in our own country, where the ecological footprints are large. (shrink)