Thomas Malthus's theory on population growth is that population will outpace food supply and that austere measures should be used to control population growth. Because food supply increases arithmetically while population increases geometrically (exponentially), Malthus believed that there would be a shortage of food for the population (1). This shortage would cause the population to decrease. Then the amount of food available for the population would be sufficient until the population increased too much again (2). To help the situation, Malthus recommended increasing the death rate through disease, hunger, war, and famine (3) as well as decreasing the birth rate through abstinence and birth control (4).
Malthus's theory caused economics to be called the dismal science (5).
The Malthusian cycle was broken by the Industrial Revolution when technology allowed for an increase in worker productivity which enabled workers to make more than what they needed for themselves individually (6).
Thomas Malthus's theory on population growth is that population will outpace food supply and that austere measures should be used to control population growth. Because food supply increases arithmetically while population increases geometrically (exponentially), Malthus believed that there would be a shortage of food for the population (1). This shortage would cause the population to decrease. Then the amount of food available for the population would be sufficient until the population increased too much again (2). To help the situation, Malthus recommended increasing the death rate through disease, hunger, war, and famine (3) as well as decreasing the birth rate through abstinence and birth control (4).
Malthus's theory caused economics to be called the dismal science (5).
The Malthusian cycle was broken by the Industrial Revolution when technology allowed for an increase in worker productivity which enabled workers to make more than what they needed for themselves individually (6).
Endnotes
(1) Collins Dictionary of Economics, s. v. "Malthus, Thomas," accessed April 01, 2012, http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.ardc.talonline.ca/entry/collinsecon/malthus_thomas.
(2) Dr. Stephanie Powers, Economics: The Dismal Science (presented at Red Deer College, February 15, 2012).
(3) Ibid.
(4) Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "birth control," accessed April 01, 2012, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/66704/birth-control.
(5) Collins Dictionary of Economics, s. v. "Malthus, Thomas," accessed April 01, 2012, http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.ardc.talonline.ca/entry/collinsecon/malthus_thomas.
(6) Dr. Stephanie Powers, Economics: The Dismal Science (presented at Red Deer College, February 15, 2012).