Thomas Malthus's Essay On Religion
Thomas Malthus first essay on population was written in 1798. The purpose of Malthus’s essay is to explore the correlations between both human population and the subsistence needed by the population. Malthus argues that “population cannot increase without the means of subsistence”. The purpose of this essay is to analyze Malthus argument and ideas to determine if there is indeed a correlation between both population and needed subsistence. Ultimately this essay will be in support of Malthus’s argument in regards to the world’s population and what is need to sustain it. Malthus explored the correlation between population and means of subsistence to directly argue against William Godwin, who was in support of a more “egalitarian society and
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Godwin believed that only through an egalitarian society, poverty would be solved. Malthus ideas is more in common to a functionalist approach, he believed that only through the balance between population and subsistence, poverty would be decreased. Godwin idea to solve poverty through the means of mass equality could theoretically be plausible, but relies too heavily on the upper and rich classes. To reach a society in which all people are equal, the bourgeoisie must give up status and property which puts them above the proletariat. The need to hold onto ones property is problematic in the regards of curing poverty. In regards to Malthus’s idea of the balance between population and subsistence, this hypothesis is far more plausible. Malthus can rely on past history and present to help provide the conclusion for a need of balance between the two powers, he states that “population does invariably increase, where there are the means of subsistence, the history of every people that have ever existed will abundantly prove”. Without food, security, and the goods needed to survive, a population cannot maintain a steady growth and is temporarily halted into poverty and struggles. Only until subsistence becomes abundant once again, can a society and population thrive without
Godwin believed that only through an egalitarian society, poverty would be solved. Malthus ideas is more in common to a functionalist approach, he believed that only through the balance between population and subsistence, poverty would be decreased. Godwin idea to solve poverty through the means of mass equality could theoretically be plausible, but relies too heavily on the upper and rich classes. To reach a society in which all people are equal, the bourgeoisie must give up status and property which puts them above the proletariat. The need to hold onto ones property is problematic in the regards of curing poverty. In regards to Malthus’s idea of the balance between population and subsistence, this hypothesis is far more plausible. Malthus can rely on past history and present to help provide the conclusion for a need of balance between the two powers, he states that “population does invariably increase, where there are the means of subsistence, the history of every people that have ever existed will abundantly prove”. Without food, security, and the goods needed to survive, a population cannot maintain a steady growth and is temporarily halted into poverty and struggles. Only until subsistence becomes abundant once again, can a society and population thrive without