mpatibility of a free government
with such ignorance. A real education, such as was given in Scotland,
would make the poor not, as alarmists had suggested, more inflammable,
but better able to detect the sophistry of demagogues.[257] He is, of
course, in favour of savings banks,[258] and approves friendly
societies, though he is strongly opposed to making them compulsory, as
they would then be the poor-law in a new form.[259] The value of every
improvement turns upon its effect in encouraging the 'moral
restraint.' Malthus's ultimate criterion is always, Will the measure
make people averse to premature marriage? He reaches the apparently
inconsistent result that it might be desirable to make an allowance
for every child beyond six.[260] But this is on the hypothesis that
the 'moral restraint' has come to be so habitual that no man marries
until he has a fair prospect of maintaining a family of six. If this
were the practical code, the allowance in cases where the expectation
was disappointed would not act as an encouragement to marriage, but as
a relief under a burthen which could not have been anticipated. Thus
all Malthus's teaching may be said to converge upon this practical
point. Add to the Ten Commandments the new law, 'Thou shalt not marry
until there is a fair prospect of supporting six children.' Then
population will increase, but sufficient means for subsistence will
always be provided beforehand. We shall make sure that there is a
provision for additional numbers before, not after, we add to our
numbers. Food first and population afterwards gives the rule; thus we
achieve the good end without the incidental evils.

Malthus's views of the appropriate remedy for social evils
undoubtedly show an imperfect appreciation of the great problems
involved. Reckless propagation is an evil; but Malthus regards it as
an evil which can be isolated and suppressed by simply adding a new
article to the moral code. He is dealing with a central problem of
human nature and social order. Any modification of the sexual
instincts or of the constitution of the family involves a profound
modification of the whole social order and of the dominant religious
and moral creeds. Malthus tacitly assumes that conduct is determined
by the play of two instincts, unalterable in themselves, but capable
of modification in their results by a more extensive view of
consequences. To change men's ruling motives in regard to the most
important part o