Chap. XXV.] Education. 147 



cause produce a given effect, there must be a ten^ 

 dency in that cause to produce this effect. Now, 

 if this tendency be real, when the cause is exerted 

 in a certain degree, the effect may generally, if 

 not always, be looked for in a corresponding de- 

 gree. But if it be not generally true, that the 

 most enlightened are the most virtuous ; if it be 

 noi generally true, that in proportion as men make 

 progress in intellectual improvement, they make 

 progress in moral excellence j we may with con- 

 fidence conclude, that these two species of im- 

 provement do not necessarily stand in the relation 

 of cause and effect to each other, and, therefore, 

 that from the existence of the former, we cannot 

 legitimately infer the existence of the latter. 



Thirdly. A further objection to the doctrine of 

 human perfectibility has been drawn, with great 

 force, from the principle oi population, compared 

 with the means of subsistence. It has been asserted 

 by acute and well informed writers, that the pro- 

 gress oi population y when unrestrained, is always 

 in 3i geometrical ratio, and that the increase of the 

 means of subsistence is, under the most favourable 

 circumstances, only in an arithmetical ratio. If 

 this be the case, it is evident that the progress of 

 population must continually, unless in extraordi- 

 nary circumstances, be checked by the want of 

 subsistence; that these two will ever be, from 

 their very nature, contending forces, and will be 

 found more or less, in the most advantageous 

 states of society, to produce want, fraud, violence, 

 irregularity in the sexual intercourse^ disease, and 

 various kinds of vice; and, as the natural conse- 

 quence of these, especially in their combined 



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