That, in the long run, due to natural selection, population will increase to match increased food production. Improvements in farming technology only buy a temporary abundance.
Our food supplies have been getting more secure for centuries, and we’ve seen no meaningful selection pressure towards larger families as a result—quite the opposite, in fact. And this isn’t a millions-of-years sort of selection, this is the sort that ought to be apparent in a few generations. I don’t think that number of children is really a heritable trait—it’s a cultural and economic effect, and even if you start speaking of cultural evolution, the economics of having lots of kids are so bad today that there’s no selection pressure in that direction.
In principle you’re probably right, but by the time we need to worry about Malthus again, the name “Malthus” may well be forgotten.
Have you read The Mote In God’s Eye?
I have not. Summary of the point you’re making, please?
That, in the long run, due to natural selection, population will increase to match increased food production. Improvements in farming technology only buy a temporary abundance.
Our food supplies have been getting more secure for centuries, and we’ve seen no meaningful selection pressure towards larger families as a result—quite the opposite, in fact. And this isn’t a millions-of-years sort of selection, this is the sort that ought to be apparent in a few generations. I don’t think that number of children is really a heritable trait—it’s a cultural and economic effect, and even if you start speaking of cultural evolution, the economics of having lots of kids are so bad today that there’s no selection pressure in that direction.
In principle you’re probably right, but by the time we need to worry about Malthus again, the name “Malthus” may well be forgotten.
How do you know which sort it is?
Heritability depends on the environment. It is quite plausible that it is much more heritable in the modern environment than the pre-modern one.
I don’t want to discuss this, just to suggest that you might be very confused.