Two hundred years ago, Thomas Malthus, in An Essay on the Principle of Population, reached the conclusion that the number of people in the world will increase exponentially, while the ability to feed these people will only increase arithmetically (21). Current evidence shows that Estimated Reading Time: 8 mins An Essay on the Principle of Population is an influential treatise first published anonymously in Great Britain in The author was soon after revealed as the English cleric and scholar Thomas Robert Malthus, who revised the essay six times over the next twenty-eight years. Malthus argued that while population would grow exponentially over the coming decades, food production would grow An Essay on the Principle of Population An Essay on the Principle of Population, as it Affects the Future Improvement of Society with Remarks on the Speculations of Mr. Godwin, M. Condorcet, and Other Writers. Thomas Malthus London Printed for J. Johnson, in St. Paul’s Church-Yard File Size: KB
An Essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Malthus
Essay Examples. Two hundred years ago, Thomas Malthus, in An Essay on the Principle of Population, reached the conclusion that the number of people in the world will increase exponentially, while the ability to feed these people will only increase arithmetically Current evidence shows that this theory may not be far from the truth.
For example, between andthe total amount of grain produced more than doubled, much more than the increase in population in those 34 years.
More recently though, these statistics have become reversed. From tothe amount of grain increased at 3 percent annually. Yet, from tograin production had grown at barely 1 percent per year, a decrease in grain production thomas malthus an essay on the principle of population person of 12 percent Brown Also strengthening to Malthus argument is the theory that the world population will increase to over 10 billion bythomas malthus an essay on the principle of population, two times what it was in Bongaarts Demographers predict that 2.
Between andit is estimated that another 3. Moreover, in the 18th century, the world population growth was 0. Neo-Malthusians base their arguments on the thomas malthus an essay on the principle of population of Thomas Malthus. Of the Neo-Malthusians, Garrett Hardin is one of the most prominent and controversial.
Hardin s essays discuss the problem of overpopulation and the effects it will have on the future. In Lifeboat Ethics, he concludes that continuous increases in population will have disastrous outcomes. Neo-Malthusian arguments come under much scrutiny by those who believe that the population explosion is only a myth. Those who hold these eliefs state that the evidence Neo-Malthusians use to justify their views is far from conclusive. Critics hold that the Neo-Malthusian call for authoritarian control is much too radical.
Thus, these critics belittle the theories of Neo-Malthusians on the basis that population is not a problem. However radical Hardin s theories may be, current evidence shows that he may not be too far off the mark, thomas malthus an essay on the principle of population.
It is hardly arguable that the population has increased in the past few decades, for current statistics show that this actually is the case. Equally revealing, is the fact that vast amounts of land are being transformed into more iving space.
More people means more waste, more pollution, and more development. With this taken into consideration, it seems that Hardin s teachings should no longer fall on deaf ears. When thomas malthus an essay on the principle of population the issue of population, it is important to note that it is one of the most controversial issues facing the world today.
Population growth, like many other environmental issues, has two sides. One side will claim that the population explosion is only a myth, while the other side will argue that the population explosion is reality. Because of this, statistics concerning this subject vary widely. But, in order to persuade, it is necessary to take one side or the other. Thus, statistics may be questioned as to their validity, even though the statistics come from credible sources. Lifeboat Ethics The United States is the most populous country in the world, behind only China and India.
Unlike China and India though, the United States is the fastest growing industrialized nation. The United States population expands so quickly because of the imbalance between migration and immigration, and births and deaths. For example, in4. Weighing this statistic against the umber of deaths and the number of people who entered and left the country, the result was that the United States obtained 2.
Population increases place great strain on the American society and more particularly it causes tremendous destruction to the natural environment. For example, more than half of the wetlands in the United States are gone, and of all of the original forest cover, 90 percent has been destroyed. This depletion has caused the near extinction of over individual plants and animals. At least part of the year, the ir that over million people breathe is too dirty to meet federal standards.
And finally, almost 15 million people are subject to polluted water supplies Douglis It is very likely that total destruction of the environment can take place and probably will if something is not done to curb the population growth. When discussing Hardin s essays it is necessary to confront the problem of immigration. Immigration is responsible for approximately 40 percent of the population growth in the United States Douglis The United States now accepts more immigrants than all other developed ountries combined Morganthau It is estimated that approximately one million immigrants from all over the world are making the United States their new home each year Mandel This estimate does not include illegal immigration, which makes this total even greater McKenna It is obvious that immigrants have a much better life in the United States than in their previous homes.
Immigrants come to the United States to benefit from the United States economy, and return to their original homes with more money. Take for example a quote form a Malaysian immigrant working illegally in the United States: If you take one dollar back to Malaysia, it is double the value.
You work here to earn U. dollars so you can greatly improve your living standard in Malaysia. Mandel 32 While immigrants benefit themselves by coming to the United States, they leave natural born Americans competing for jobs. Byit is estimated that the population of the United States will be close to million. Of this, approximately million, or 36 percent, will be immigrants and their children. This will make Americans of European descent, which in were an 89 percent majority, a minority of less than 50 percent Brimelow Immigration poses great threats to the national economy, and costs taxpayers millions of dollars every year.
According to Garret Hardin s idea of Lifeboat Ethics, continuing to add o the population of the United States will create many hardships. In order to bring the population within a reasonable number, Hardin suggests population control. Like other Neo-Malthusians, thomas malthus an essay on the principle of population, he states that this can only be accomplished under authoritarian government. Under authoritarian control, couples would no longer be able to receive private benefits from reproduction, while they pass the costs of their fertility on to society Chen He claims that individual rights— particularly reproductive rights—are too broad.
He argues that population control cannot be achieved with birth control alone. Birth ontrol simply gives the person the choice of when to have children and how many to have Chen Thus, in order to attain a stable population, the right to reproduce freely can no longer be allowed. Thus, there are two lifeboats: one full of equally rich people, the other disastrously overcrowded with poor people. Because of the overcrowding in the poor lifeboats, some people are forced into the water, hoping eventually to be admitted onto a rich ifeboat where they can benefit from the goodies on board.
This is where the central problem of he ethics of a lifeboat becomes a primary issue. What should the passengers on the rich lifeboat do Hardin First, Hardin notes that the lifeboat has a limited carrying capacity, which he designates at Fifty people are already aboard the lifeboat, leaving room for 10 more. He also notes that the 10 empty spaces should be left empty in order to preserve the safety factor of the boat. Assuming there are swimmers waiting to be taken aboard, what happens next Hardin Hardin suggests three solutions.
First of which is to allow all people to board the lifeboat. This would bring the total passengers of the lifeboat to Because thomas malthus an essay on the principle of population boat only has a capacity of 60, the safety factor thomas malthus an essay on the principle of population destroyed, and the boat becomes overcrowded.
Eventually the lifeboat sinks and everyone drowns. In Thomas malthus an essay on the principle of population s words, complete justice, complete catastrophe Hardin The second solution is to allow only 10 more people on the boat, abolishing the safety factor, but keeping the boat from becoming too overcrowded.
The problem with this solution though is which swimmers o let in, and what to say to the other 90 left stranded in the water Hardin The final solution is to allow no one in the boat, thus greatly increasing the chances of survival for the 50 passengers already on board. This solution, to many of the passengers, would be wrong, for they would feel guilty about their good luck. Hardin offers a simple response: Get out and give up your seat to someone else.
Eventually, if all of the guilt ridden people relinquish their seats, the boat would be guilt free and the ethics of the lifeboat would again be restored Hardin Hardin next argues the issue of reproduction. He notes that populations of poor nations double every 35 years, while the populations of rich nations double every 87 years.
To put it in Hardin s perspective, consider the United States a lifeboat. At the time Hardin wrote his essay, the population of the United States was million and the average rate of increase was 0. Even though the populations of rich nations are outnumbered by the populations of poor nations by two to one, consider, for example, that there are an equal number of people on the outside of the lifeboat as here are on the lifeboat million.
The people outside of the lifeboat increase at a rate of 3. Therefore, thomas malthus an essay on the principle of population, in 21 years this population would be doubled Hardin If the million swimmers were allowed onto the lifeboat the United Statesthe initial ratio of Americans to Non-Americans would be one to one.
But, 87 years later, the population of Americans would have doubled to million, while the Non-Americans doubling every 21 years would now have increased to almost 3. If this were the case, each American ould have more than 8 other people to share ith Hardin Immigration causes more problems than those discussed by Hardin.
It causes social friction, and the decline of English-speaking Americans Morganthau As more and more immigrants poor into American cities, they collectively will feel no need to learn the English language. If one city becomes a majority of immigrants rather than a majority of natural born Americans, tension is the result. This tension will result in societal separatism, which will finally lead to political separatism James There are many arguments that focus on the benefits of immigration.
Arguments that conclude that immigration creates jobs, promotes a diverse culture, and even arguments that immigration may produce the next Einstein.
Population, Sustainability, and Malthus: Crash Course World History 215
, time: 12:51Thomas Malthus, An Essay on the Principle of Population Essay on
An Essay on the Principle of Population is an influential treatise first published anonymously in Great Britain in The author was soon after revealed as the English cleric and scholar Thomas Robert Malthus, who revised the essay six times over the next twenty-eight years. Malthus argued that while population would grow exponentially over the coming decades, food production would grow An Essay on the Principle of Population An Essay on the Principle of Population, as it Affects the Future Improvement of Society with Remarks on the Speculations of Mr. Godwin, M. Condorcet, and Other Writers. Thomas Malthus London Printed for J. Johnson, in St. Paul’s Church-Yard File Size: KB Two hundred years ago, Thomas Malthus, in An Essay on the Principle of Population, reached the conclusion that the number of people in the world will increase exponentially, while the ability to feed these people will only increase arithmetically (21). Current evidence shows that Estimated Reading Time: 8 mins
No comments:
Post a Comment