46 Of Systems of Equality, continued. Bk. iii. 



society, according to the present structure of it, 

 and yet to suppose that it would not act with 

 sufficient force in a system of equality, which 

 almost always presupposes a great diffusion of 

 information, and a great improvement of the hu- 

 man mind. Those who have made this observa- 

 tion do not see that the encouragement and 

 motive to moral restraint are at once destroyed 

 in a system of equality, and community of goods. 

 Let us suppose that in a system of equality, in 

 spite of the best exertions to procure more food, 

 the population is pressing hard against the limits 

 of subsistence, and all are becoming very poor. It 

 is evidently necessary under these circumstances, 

 in order to prevent the society from starving, that 

 the rate at which the population increases should 

 be retarded. But who are the persons that are to 

 exercise the restraint thus called for, and either to 

 marry late or not at all ? It does not seem to be 

 a necessary consequence of a system of equality 

 that all the human passions should be at once ex- 

 tinguished by it ; but if not, those who might wish 

 to marry would feel it hard that they should be 

 among the number forced to restrain their inclina- 

 tions. As all would be equal, and in similar cir- 

 cumstances, there would be no reason whatever 

 why one individual should think himself obliged 

 to practise the duty of restraint more than another. 

 The thing however must be done, with any hope 

 of avoiding universal misery; and in a state of 

 equality, the necessary restraint could only be 

 effected by some general law. But how is this 



