Essay Questions

Expound the interrelationship between hunting and population.

Malthus explains, "IN THE RUDEST STATE OF MANKIND, in which hunting is the principal occupation, and the only mode of acquiring food, the means of subsistence being scattered over a large extent of territory, the comparative population must necessarily be thin. It is said that the passion between the sexes is less ardent among the North American Indians than among any other race of men." A hunting lifestyle contributes to a low population relative to a subsistence lifestyle. The illustration on the passion among the Native Indians demonstrates that the hunting lifestyle reduces the rate at which couples get intimate. Consequently, the numbers are lower due to the low levels of passion.

Describe the intersection between child mortality and social class.

Malthus elucidates, “But I believe it has been very generally remarked by those who have attended to bills of mortality that of the number of children who die annually, much too great a proportion belongs to those who may be supposed unable to give their offspring proper food and attention, exposed as they are occasionally to severe distress and confined, perhaps, to unwholesome habitations and hard labour. This mortality among the children of the poor has been constantly taken notice of in all towns.” The peasants’ children are more likely to experience mortality due to the unfavourable social-economic circumstances. Comparatively, the rich have financial resources that can be invested in the health and wellbeing of their children.

Explicate the limitation concerning the idea that “the whole earth had been cultivated like a garden.”

Malthus explains, “Even Mr Wallace, who thought the argument itself of so much weight as to destroy his whole system of equality, did not seem to be aware that any difficulty would occur from this cause till the whole earth had been cultivated like a garden and was incapable of any further increase of produce... Though the produce of the earth might be increasing every year, population would be increasing much faster.” Cultivation of the planet may seem as a viable option of guaranteeing adequate food for the massive population. However, the strategy would not be sustainable eternally because population would not cease to increase as result of the cultivation. Accordingly, the earth would not expand to accommodate the additional population.