Article 02

Malthusian Theory: A Historical Journey

"The histories of mankind are histories only of the higher classes."

Thomas Malthus

• Thomas Malthus developed the Malthusian theory in the late 18th century amid significant cultural and economic changes. Understanding the evolution and impact of the Malthusian idea requires knowledge of its historical setting.

• Malthus offered a gloomy viewpoint. He stated in his 1798 book "Essay on the Principle of Population" that poverty and misery were not the result of political and social institutions and that changes in these institutions would not remove the evils of the society. Malthus argued that human beings, in the “absence of checks on population” will tend to increase food supply arithmetically human population expanded geometrically, eventually beyond the planet's capacity to sustain it. Further, he believed that these natural checks on population growth were necessary to prevent overpopulation and its negative consequences.

• His observations of the impoverished and their living conditions in contrast to the comparatively modest rise of agricultural productivity had a significant impact on Malthus' hypothesis. He thought that the instinctive and passionate character of human reproduction would constantly outstrip the expansion of resources. Malthus' hypothesis cast doubt on the optimistic outlook that predominated at the time and raised questions about whether population expansion could be sustained in light of the available resources.

• The ideas of Malthus had a significant impact on discussions about social and economic policy. It generated talks about the need to limit population increase, which brought up issues like contraception and family planning. Additionally, Malthus' theories had an impact on the establishment of early economic theory and classical economics.

• In conclusion, the Industrial Revolution's profound transformation of society and the economy is the historical setting for the Malthusian idea. The population increase hypothesis proposed by Thomas Malthus and its consequences for resource scarcity and human well-being sparked arguments that still reverberate today in concerns of population, resources, and sustainable development.

‌Written by W. Dilini Peiris and Raini Charuka

Reference

• MacRae, D. G. (2018). Thomas Malthus | Biography, Theory, Books, & Facts. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Malthus

• Montano, B. and García-López, M. (2020). Malthusianism of the 21st century. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 6, p.100032. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2020.100032  

• Bretschger, L. (2020). Malthus in the light of climate change. European Economic Review, 127, p.103477. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2020.103477.