Reactions to Malthus

While reading the first two chapters of “The Bet”, which primarily focus on Paul Ehrlich and Julian Simon’s respective origins and ideas, I was amazed at the influence their upbringing had on them, as well as by the convincing nature of their arguments either for or against population growth. For Ehrlich specifically, he used his own experiences, such as the overcrowding he witnessed in Delhi as a way to personalize overpopulation (Sabin 2014, p. 22). Reading that excerpt from “The Population Bomb” was rather convincing to me in that densely populated areas, especially in less developed areas, are intimidating and often not seen as the most civilized or most hygienic. Once Ehrlich had introduced the idea of overpopulation, he could then use it as leverage to promote his own agenda in terms of population control. Not only does Ehrlich talk about “the need for action”, but he also acted on those thoughts (Sabin 2014, p.36). Representing a typical Malthusian idea, Ehrlich suggested the organization aptly named “Zero Population Growth”. This quickly became a neo-Malthusian idea when he began to target the population through birth control and limits on reproduction (Sabin 2014, p. 37).  Ehrlich urged anything that would limit population growth, whether it was through traditional birth control, abortion, vasectomies, or even the hypothetical proposal of “mandatory sterilizations, or temporary infertility imposed through pills or public drinking water” (Sabin 2014, p. 38/40). I agree to some extent with the Malthusian ideas, but not to the extremes that Ehrlich takes it. From a biological standpoint, every species has a certain carrying capacity in their habitat and an equilibrium which they will reach to live comfortably. I agree with the idea that genetically modifying crops, using pesticides, and assorted other technologies will only delay the inevitable, but I also find it to be extreme to use neo-Malthusian tactics. There needs to be a middle ground in this debate. Extreme consumption and overpopulation is a problem for our environment, but invoking harsh regulation on reproduction and aid to countries that cannot support themselves in unnecessary.

For more information about Paul Ehrlich's neo-Malthusian views, click here.

For a brief summary of the bet between Julian Simon and Paul Ehrlich, click here.

Sabin, Paul. 2014. The Bet: Paul Ehrlich, Julian Simon, and Our Gamble over Earth’s Future. New Haven: Yale UP.