Malthus and Owen 211in a geometrical fashion i.e., population will grow in the follow
ing progression 1,2,4, 8, 16, 62,64. But land does not multiply;
so subsistence, with limited growing conditions can increase at
best in an arithmetic progression i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The
obvious result of these forces is a world in a constant battle to
maintain some minimal level of subsistence, and doomed to
failure. Malthus projects what will happen or what can happen.
If men go about their merry way the population will outstrip
the food supply and eventually famine will result. Many will die.
This has happened often in the past and will continue in the
future. Sometimes the famine is averted but only by means
equally as horrible: war, disease, infant mortality. These “natu
ral” checks on population Malthus calls positive checks. These
positive checks however, limit population by inflicting misery
upon mankind.
There are however, preventive checks, which man as a ratio
nal animal can employ. Animals procreate by instinct and when
the environment for whatever reason cannot support them, they
die in great numbers, sometimes becoming extinct. But man can
use his reason and thereby limit procreation. Malthus calls for
“moral restraint” on the part of individuals to limit population.
He suggests a suppression of the sex urge until children can be
supported, or a postponement of marriage so that the natural
forces of age will limit the number of offspring. If men will
employ moral restraint the situation can be moderated, but
Malthus is skeptical of human nature and sees a gloomy future.
So—population can be limited by moral restraint, or by the
misery of famine and disease. There is, however, a third factor
which can limit population which Malthus refers to as vice.
Population can be limited by the use of contraception, or by the
unnatural release of passions (homosexuality, sodomy). Obvi
ously, Reverend Malthus opposes vice as a means to limit
population. His outlook for mankind in this world is bleak; if our
short stay on earth is bound to be painful, how much worse it
would be to compound the trouble by burning in hell forever. He
leaves us with only one way out—moral restraint.
Malthus used this theory to develop his position in opposition
to the Poor Laws in England. His contention was that the poor
should not be given a dole from the state. His reasoning was two
fold in terms of specifics, but based on the general principle that