Malthusian Theory of Population

Thomas Robert Malthus

• British philosopher and economist known for his population growth philosophies and the Malthusian Growth Model.

• An Essay on the Principle of Population : his work, first published in 1798.

Geometric growth

population grows geometrically (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32...).

Arithmetic growth

food production grows arithmetically (1, 2, 3, 4...).

Malthusian catastrophe (crisis point)

the point where population growth outpaces food production.

Population control

since population grows much faster than food, control brings population back to a sustainable level.

Core principles

food is necessary for human existence; human population tends to grow faster than the earth's power to produce subsistence; the effects of these two unequal powers must be kept equal.

Checks on population

limits that prevent further growth once the ceiling (catastrophe) is reached.

Negative (preventive) check

decreases the birth rate (includes moral restraint).

Positive check

increases the death rate; any event or circumstance that shortens human life span, raising mortality and lowering life expectancy.