Enlightenment Redux
The most optimistic visions of the Enlightenment embodied a naive faith in human progress that made them an easy target for Malthusian scorn. Malthus offered a compromise between the forces of tradition and modernity that was particularly appealing to those in the best position to gain from both.
Men should restrain their desire for sex but not for wealth. If benevolence in the form of assistance to the poor could be checked, postponed marriage could bring prosperity in the form of economic growth. The poor in general, and unwed mothers in particular, were to blame for their own plight.The rhetoric of self-interest continued to exercise almost hypnotic power. Malthus's Essay signaled a widening of its reach, bringing lust into social theory by calling attention to the impact of demographics on economics. Malthus warned that most individuals would not be rational enough to limit their fertility. It would soon became apparent that they were more rational than he thought they should be, becoming adept at the use of improper arts.