An Essay on the Principle of Population

Chapter 10 is a critique of Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, and its Influence on General Virtue and Happiness (1793), an essay written by political philosopher William Godwin. Malthus praises Godwin’s prose but laments his conclusions are unsound and immodest. His theory on the improvement of society, based on benevolence and reason, is one Malthus commends but finds unrealistic. Godwin’s biggest mistake is attributing all suffering to human institutions. In other words, political regulations and a spirit of oppression are to blame for all misery among men. If the bounties of nature were to be shared equitably “in the midst of plenty,” nobody would need to worry about their subsistence (56). Their mental acuities could then be used toward philosophy.

Malthus finds this is nothing but optimistic speculation. First, he points out that people cannot live “in the midst of plenty” (57) because the bounties of nature are not shared equally, and population always increases faster than food production. Furthermore, without the enforcement of property rights, everyone would need to guard their resources by force, and selfishness, rather than benevolence, would permeate society. While Godwin might be correct in asserting that three-fourths of the globe is still uncultivated, Malthus cautions that preventive measures need to be taken before the earth reaches full capacity.