Comparative Analysis - Essay Example

Specifically, he used the concept of consumption overpopulation as opposed to people overpopulation. According to Condorcet, it is human advancement and development that will curtail the growth of population in the future, making the current resources suffice the needs of the people. His theory is supported by technological advances such as contraception and also by economic development which limits the number of children that couples would want to conceive. He also compared the situation in the developed countries wherein it is believed that children are borne out of altruistic motivation, which is to raise them well and be happy to see them prosper as opposed to the cultures of the developing countries wherein children are seen as future support in old age.

In the latter situation, we expect couples to bear more children. With this example, Wolf was able to apply the theory of Condorcet that advancement will help regulate the population. Thomas Malthus, a well-known economist has also contributed to the theory on population with his formulation of two checks on population: the positive check which is practically increase in the rate of mortality due to some phenomena such as war and hunger. These are also called “misery”. Practically, Malthus’ concept on misery can be understood as the inevitable fruit of growing population, reaching a plateau-like situation in which the resources can hardly sustain life.

Simply put, this over-population will result to men scavenging for limited resources which will result in chaos and conflict. Thus, population will decline inevitably. He has also mentioned about preventive checks, which is also called vices. This is represented by a decline in fertility through vices such as promiscuous intercourse and unnatural passions among others. Wolf concluded that unless economic development brings the expected benefits to the impoverished majority, population will continue to increase