ABSTRACT
It would be convenient indeed if such a contentious issue as the relationship between population and resources could be discussed in some ethically neutral manner. In recent years scientific investigations into this relationship have multiplied greatly in number and sophistication. But the plethora of scientific investigation has not reduced contentiousness; rather, it has increased it. We can venture three possible explanations for this state of affairs:
1. science is not ethically neutral; 2. there are serious defects in the scientific methods used to consider
the population-resources problem; or 3. some people are irrational and fail to understand and accept scien-
tifically established results.
