Does an increasing human population only have cons, or are there some pros?
Does an increasing human population only have cons, or are there some pros?
Increasing the population is full of pros. This is why it happens. Whereas, if it were primarily cons, large populations (large cities) would be the exception, and not the rule.
Presently, I see only one con for large populations, but I think it is a challenging one.
Large successful populations lesson the problem solving responsibilities of the individual. That is the main benefit of large populations. People simply assume a responsibility for tasks within society. This is possible because a small segment of the larger population does the problem solving for the many. Increasingly then, the bulk of humanity become the machinery of society and not its agents of change. Unfortunately, because people are the machinery, they resist change encouraged by others. This is obviously a dangerous combination.
BUT here’s the killer problem: problem solving success makes rational people. By default, people are irrational (acquiring simple behaviors primarily through classical conditioning). If people remain irrational in large populations, the society will become disordered. Societal harmony will disintegrate. Minor problems won’t get solved, and yet new (unnecessary) ones will be produced. The environment and resources will be mismanaged.
The large population will be thus unsustainable. I think that this is your perception. But it doesn’t have to be this way. When people are rational, large populations can work. There is always safety and success in numbers. Large populations can solve complex problems (like semiconductors or integrated circuits).
However, rationality must grow in large populations. Presently, it decreases specifically because of the benefits of large populations. That’s the problem.