2.6 Malthusian Theory Notes

Thomas Malthus

  • Lived from 1766-1834
  • British Economist
  • First person credited with raising the alarm about population growth out spacing food production

}}Thomas Malthus warned that population would out space food supply because population grows geometrically while food supply grows arithmetically.}}

Malthus made predictions in the years after Britain entered stage 2 of the Demographic Transition Model.

Malthus’ Critics

  • Malthus had supporters and critics alike in his own time and was mocked by some of the press at home and abroad
  • During his time, only a few countries were in stage 2 of the DTM and many were still in stage 1 leading many people to believe he was an alarmist and anti-family

Malthus Today

  • Malthus’ ideas remain influential today, particularly because of the dramatic increase in the world’s population in the 20th century
  • Neo-Malthusians point to the dramatic loss in Earth’s natural resources coupled with unprecedented population growth as an indicator that Malthus’ ideas are still relevant today
  • Thomas Malthus’ theory on population growth can help us understand the challenges of population growth and food production. He was unable to predict the advancements humans would make in food production and slowing population growth as countries move through the DTM. Therefore, his theory has value today but is limited by his historical perspective.

2.6 IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

Thomas Malthus- Published one of the most provocative books on population growth ever written, “An Essay on the Principles of Population.” He was a member of the clergy and an early economist, focused on one of the underlying concerns of geography: the relationship between people and the earth

Malthusian Theory- Analyzing the relationship between natural resource use, particularly agricultural output, and the growing population and concluded that society was on a path of massive starvation

Overpopulation- Since population would grow faster than food production, the world’s population would soon be unsupportable

Ester Boserup- (1910-1999) Danish Economist who emphasized the positive aspects of a large population

Boserup Theory- Suggested that the more people there are, the more hands there are to work, rather than just more mouths to feed. A population increases, more pressure is placed on the existing agricultural system, which stimulates invention resulting in more food production

Neo-Malthusians- People who accept Thomas Malthus’ fundamental premise. They argue that population growth is a serious problem currently and an even greater threat for the future. They point out that population growth will lead to the depletion of nonrenewable resources such as petroleum and metal, pollution of air and water, and shortages of food. These issues could lead to social, political, economic, and environmental catastrophe.