MALTHUS 165 



the long run without a reduced birthrate, as this would 

 lead to rapid over-population, and bring back all the 

 evils which are attendant upon a severe struggle for 

 existence. Thus we see that both organic evolution in 

 general and social evolution in particular must be accom- 

 panied by a reduced deathrate and a reduced birthrate, 

 otherwise they will be self-defeating. 



To Malthus it is sufficient to reply that there has been 

 a vast evolution in the past, both organic evolution and 

 social evolution, during which the condition of mankind 

 has improved enormously. Evolution, therefore, cannot 

 be self-defeating. This progressive evolution, moreover, 

 from unicellular organisms upwards, has always been 

 accompanied by a reduced deathrate and a reduced 

 birthrate. From this it is a fair inference that such 

 will continue to be the case in the future that Nature 

 will continue in the future, as in the past, to show herself 

 far wiser than her interpreters. The idea of Malthus 

 that the evils from which society suffers are necessary to 

 keep down the numbers of the population is the reverse 

 of the truth, and these evils are themselves the cause of 

 a high birthrate. 



