Over Popolation
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). There is evidence shows that this theory may not be far from the truth. For example in New York City alone the population has went from 3.6 million in 1950 to 8.9 million in 1990. Also strengthening to Malthus’ argument is the theory that the world population will increase to over 10 billion by 2050, two times what it was in 1990 (Bongaarts 36). Demographers predict that 2.8 billion people were added to the world population between 1950 and 1990. Between 1990 and 2030, it is estimated that another 3.6 billion will be added. (Brown 31). Moreover, in the 18th century, New York City’s population growth was 0.34%; it increased to 0.54% in the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century to 0.84% (Weiskel 40). New York is recieveing a robust propotion of the total imigration into this country. However radical named Hardin theories may be, current evidence shows that he may not be too far off the mark. It is hardly arguable that the population has increased in the
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 12). The United States now accepts more immigrants than all other developed countries combined (Morganthau 22). It is estimated that approximately one million immigrants from all over the world are making the United States their new home each year (Mandel 32). This estimate does not include illegal immigration, which makes this total even greater (McKenna 336). 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, in 1992, 4.1 million babies were born. Weighing this statistic against the number of deaths and the number of people who entered and left the country, the result was that the United States obtained 2.8 million more people than it had gotten rid of (Douglis 12). According to Garret Hardin’s idea of Lifeboat Ethics, continuing to add to 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, 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 88). He claims that individual rights--particularly reproductive rights--are too broad. He argues that population control cannot be achieved with birth control alone. Birth control simply gives the person the choice of when to have children and how many to have (Chen 90). Thus, in order to attain a stable population, the right to reproduce freely can no longer be allowed.
Some topics in this essay:
Lifeboat Ethics,
Thomas Malthus,
United States’,
York City’s,
Principle Population,
Americans Morganthau,
Statue Liberty,
Americans European,
York City,
United Douglis,
population growth,
calhoun 6,
population united,
douglis 12,
safety factor,
standard living,
hardin 224,
world population,
hardin 225,
carrying capacity,
natural resources infinite,
hardin 223 hardin,
people outside lifeboat,
natural born americans,
populations poor nations,
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Approximate Word count = 2551
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)
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