Malthusian Theory

Thomas Malthus – turn of the 19th century English Economist turned Sociologist.

• wrote: An Essay on the Principles of Population

• He argues that the already rapidly growing population of the 1700s would continue to grow at an ever-faster rate.

• He based his prediction on the theory that population grows through multiplication.

Geometric Progression

• A continued doubling factor

• i.e.: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, etc.

• Malthus followed this method to its logical conclusion.

• population growth will soon reach numbers to large for society to function.

What types of Global, Inter-Societal and Intra-Societal problems do think Malthus thought we would face?

G lob a l:P rob lem s th ew orld w ill face .

In te r-S oc ie ta l:B e tw een soc ie ties

In tra -S oc ie ta l:W ith in soc ie ties

M a lth u s ian Th eoryo f P op u la tion C h an g e

Social Consequences

Food Production

Urbanization = pollution, disease, etc.

Land Erosion

Employment and wealth

Health

Poverty

“?”

Arithmetically Progression

• Concepts like food progression in singular increase.

• i.e.: 2 ,3 ,4 ,5 ,6 , and so on…

• Malthus followed this method to its logical conclusion.

• production growth will soon be unable to meet the needs of the growing population.

What factors limit the ability for something like food production to be arithmetical and not geometric?

Forces to Slow Population Growth

• Reduce Births

• Preventive Checks

• birth control

• delayed marriage

• delayed childbearing

• Positive Checks

• war

• disease

• famine

Which force is most likely to occur? Why?

What factors did Malthus fail to take into account that might prevent these social consequences?

Advances in agriculture technology.

Development of effective birth control and its widespread use.

Is Malthus’ theory still possible?The last doubling of the world’s population was

3 billion to 6 billion over just 39 years.

Sociologists and demographers predict that the next time this will occur might take as much a ten years less.