Summary
Highlights
Thomas Malthus, an Anglican Minister, published 'An Essay on the Principle of Population' in 1798. His theory was based on two observations: food is necessary for life, and the passion between the sexes is a constant, leading to continuous multiplication of the human population.
Malthus lived during the Industrial Revolution, a period that saw a massive population explosion. This was due to increasing birth rates and sharply falling death rates because of new medicines and vaccines, which helped people live longer and eliminated diseases like the Bubonic Plague and smallpox.
Malthus predicted that while the population would grow geometrically, the food supply would only grow arithmetically. He believed this would lead to a point where the Earth would run out of food, plunging humanity into misery, vice, famines, wars, and plagues until the population reduced to a manageable level.
To prevent this catastrophe, Malthus suggested solutions like delaying marriage, having fewer children, and stopping government aid to the poor, as he believed they had more children.
Malthus's predictions did not come true. The world population grew from 1 billion in his time to 8 billion today without the predicted apocalypse. This is because he couldn't foresee new technologies like mechanized farming, chemical fertilizers, and refrigeration, which drastically increased and preserved the food supply, allowing it to keep pace with population growth.
Malthusian thought experienced a revival in the mid-20th century with Neo-Malthusians like Paul Ehrlich, who made similar apocalyptic predictions. However, a significant critique came from economist Ester Boserup, who argued that population growth directly stimulates innovation in food production, meaning societies will find ways to feed themselves as they grow.