If Ra's Al Ghul is pro-depopulation, why have a child?

[OopsIdiditagain]

Ra's Al Ghul has stated many times he feels the growth of humanity's population is threat to this planet and it's environment. Yet he chooses to contribute to this harm by having kids and grandkid? Wouldn't it be more efficient if Ra adopted anti-natalist values too?

Explanation of anti-natalism:
"Antinatalism, or anti-natalism, is a philosophical position and social movement that assigns a negative value to birth. Antinatalists argue that humans should abstain from procreation because it is morally bad. In scholarly and in literary writings, various ethical foundations have been presented for antinatalism"


Sorry if this came out of nowhere. Ra's reminds of people who preach about others getting steralized or euthanized because "overpopulation is hurting the environment" while also having offsprings and trying to live as long as possible. In short he's a hypocrite.

[Light of Justice]

He's villain, so of course he's hypocrite. All de-population villains are always like that.

[SiegePerilous02]

Because he's a nutcase.

[Jackalope89]

Well, should anything happen to him and he can't get to a Lazarus Pit in time, he'll need an heir to carry on his work. To go along with that...

While he wants to eradicate most of humanity, he does want to leave a small, yet sustainable, population that can be controlled. Most likely those directly tied to his organization and those he personally chose that he felt would useful, but under his control.

[OopsIdiditagain]

Well, should anything happen to him and he can't get to a Lazarus Pit in time, he'll need an heir to carry on his work. To go along with that...

While he wants to eradicate most of humanity, he does want to leave a small, yet sustainable, population that can be controlled. Most likely those directly tied to his organization and those he personally chose that he felt would useful, but under his control.

Makes sense

[Frontier]

Well, should anything happen to him and he can't get to a Lazarus Pit in time, he'll need an heir to carry on his work. To go along with that...

While he wants to eradicate most of humanity, he does want to leave a small, yet sustainable, population that can be controlled. Most likely those directly tied to his organization and those he personally chose that he felt would useful, but under his control.

Yeah, I don't think Ra's has ever advocated for the total genocide of the human race, just a necessary culling of most of them.

[OopsIdiditagain]

Yeah, I don't think Ra's has ever advocated for the total genocide of the human race, just a necessary culling of most of them.

He should've been the change he wanted to see and stop contributing to it.

[Celgress]

He's villain, so of course he's a hypocrite. All de-population villains are always like that.

Bingo, the correct answer - "Do as I say not as I do."

[cgh]

It would be cool if they made a storyline around this, where his philosophy was presented seriously rather than "here's a madman who wants to kill everyone because trees". I'm not saying he should be made into a sympathetic character, but the fact that he has kids (Talia, Nyssa, a son whose name I don't remember, maybe others) means he's either a gigantic hypocrite or his philosophy is more complex than what's been given. Maybe it's not just about preserving nature's natural beauty.

Whatever happened to Nyssa anyway? I remember she died somehow. Maybe she's back because of the New 52?

[Digifiend]

It would be cool if they made a storyline around this, where his philosophy was presented seriously rather than "here's a madman who wants to kill everyone because trees". I'm not saying he should be made into a sympathetic character, but the fact that he has kids (Talia, Nyssa, a son whose name I don't remember, maybe others) means he's either a gigantic hypocrite or his philosophy is more complex than what's been given. Maybe it's not just about preserving nature's natural beauty.

Whatever happened to Nyssa anyway? I remember she died somehow. Maybe she's back because of the New 52?

She was killed by Batgirl (who'd joined the League of Assassins) in 2006's Robin #148.
https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Nyssa_Raatko_(New_Earth)

She doesn't exist in New 52 - the only other Nyssa Al Ghuls listed on the wiki are the Arrowverse and Gotham TV series ones.

[Restingvoice]

I don't think having one, two, three kids is equal to genociding an entire city or two
It also has to do what the city population do like Gotham keeps producing criminals and the criminally insane on top of the usual polluters and greedy rich people. In his views he's fixing the world, so his family doesn't count

[OopsIdiditagain]

It would be cool if they made a storyline around this, where his philosophy was presented seriously rather than "here's a madman who wants to kill everyone because trees". I'm not saying he should be made into a sympathetic character, but the fact that he has kids (Talia, Nyssa, a son whose name I don't remember, maybe others) means he's either a gigantic hypocrite or his philosophy is more complex than what's been given. Maybe it's not just about preserving nature's natural beauty.

Whatever happened to Nyssa anyway? I remember she died somehow. Maybe she's back because of the New 52?

I would like a book like that too. Maybe a oneshot chapter or graphic novel. The way environmentalists villains are written is wacky. Which is surprising considering there are a lot of people with this philosophy(minus the sociopathic tendencies).

[Tsukiakari1203]

It would be cool if they made a storyline around this, where his philosophy was presented seriously rather than "here's a madman who wants to kill everyone because trees". I'm not saying he should be made into a sympathetic character, but the fact that he has kids (Talia, Nyssa, a son whose name I don't remember, maybe others) means he's either a gigantic hypocrite or his philosophy is more complex than what's been given. Maybe it's not just about preserving nature's natural beauty.

Whatever happened to Nyssa anyway? I remember she died somehow. Maybe she's back because of the New 52?

Nyssa died pre-reboot and hasn't been since outside of Gotham and Arrow. Dusan is the son and he's appeared like once I think

[Agent Z]

It would be cool if they made a storyline around this, where his philosophy was presented seriously rather than "here's a madman who wants to kill everyone because trees". I'm not saying he should be made into a sympathetic character, but the fact that he has kids (Talia, Nyssa, a son whose name I don't remember, maybe others) means he's either a gigantic hypocrite or his philosophy is more complex than what's been given. Maybe it's not just about preserving nature's natural beauty.

Whatever happened to Nyssa anyway? I remember she died somehow. Maybe she's back because of the New 52?

His philosophy is inherently incapable of being presented seriously.

[SiegePerilous02]

His philosophy is inherently incapable of being presented seriously.

Yeah. it's easier to make a case for even Ivy over Ra's.

Denny O'Neil wanted him to be more sympathetic than Bruce, and I have to wonder "how." Batman Beyond's assessment that he was just a pathetic old loser who was just afraid of death seems more on point.