SOC103H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Cogito Ergo Sum, René Descartes, Human Capital
Lecture 2: Material Settings: Population, Cities, and the
Environment
1
Two Different View of Social Life:
1) I think, therefore I am (“Cogito ergo sum”)
Rene Descartes
• An idealist approach
• The notion that life goes on inside human heads has effected the way that sociology is
taught
2) I die, therefore I am (“Morior ergo sum”)
Lorne Tepperman
• A materialist approach
• What goes on inside of peoples’ head is due to their material experiences
Cities as Miniature Staging Groups
• Cities are the perfect venue in which to study the interconnection between
populations and environments
• Cities are a built environment to protect humans from the natural environment
Population Growth and the Environment
• Societies are made up of people who need food and occupy space (both are limited)
• Despite the limit on food and space, the population has been rising exponentially over
the past two centuries – this has led to concern over overpopulation and its effects on
the environment
Demography: the study of population: births, deaths, migration
Several demographic variables have an effect on the environment
Population size
• A large population puts more pressure on the natural environment than a small
population but is also more likely to invent new technologies and new ways of
producing food and wealth
• Large populations are usually dense or crowded and often found in cities – mass
migrations of people are connected with over population and insufficient supplies of
food (ex. Irish potato famine)
• City people are more settled than transient hunter-gatherers but less settled than
agriculturalists
• City populations are also diverse
o Vary in sex, age, education, interests, and occupations
o City people also have high levels of human capital (i.e. a high level of health,
education, and training)
▪ These things contribute to high productivity and increased prosperity
Approaches to Population Growth
Functionalism: Malthus
• First to suggest that population problems could threaten human existence
• Without preventive checks, populations would always outgrow its food supply
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Lecture 2: material settings: population, cities, and the. Two different view of social life: i think, therefore i am ( cogito ergo sum ) Rene descartes: an idealist approach, the notion that life goes on inside human heads has effected the way that sociology is taught, i die, therefore i am ( morior ergo sum ) Lorne tepperman: a materialist approach, what goes on inside of peoples" head is due to their material experiences. Cities as miniature staging groups: cities are the perfect venue in which to study the interconnection between populations and environments, cities are a built environment to protect humans from the natural environment. Demography: the study of population: births, deaths, migration. Several demographic variables have an effect on the environment. Functionalism: malthus: first to suggest that population problems could threaten human existence, without preventive checks, populations would always outgrow its food supply.
