Critically examine the Malthus Theory of Population
Thomas Robert
Malthus an English clergyman made scientific study of the problem of population
and published a book “Essay on the Principle of Population”. The book for a
century influenced the thinking of the people all over the world. It is still a
living influence today. His conclusion, which consists of three general proportions
are known as Malthus Theory of Population and are as follows:
(1) Population
increases much faster than the increase of food. While population increases in
geometrical progression like 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 etc. In other words food
supply does not keep pace with the growth of population.
(2) The increase
in population must be checked by means of preventive check like latter
marriage, artificia birth control etc.
(3) If people do
not apply preventive checks, population will continue to grow and will soon
outstrip the available food supply. Nature shall then, intervene and positive
checks like epidemics, wars, murders and famines shall come into force and
ultimately wipe out the surplus of population.
Malthus
recommended the use of preventive check. Other wise “Nature” said Malthus “will
restore the equilibrium if man fails to check his own growth. Malthus said,
“The table to nature is laid for a limited number of guests and those who come
uninvited must starve”.
Criticism of the
Theory:
The Malthus
Theory of Population has been vehemently criticised by modern writers. Malthus
has in fact, been called a dismal economist and a gloomy prophet. The main
points of criticism are as follows:
1. Malthusian Theory of Population is not
entirely correct. It was certainly correct at the tiem when Malthus propounded
it; but since then the world has considerably changed and many forces
unforeseen by Malthus have come into play and have rendered with theory
inapplicable to modern times. During the time when Malthus lived, the
population of Great
Britain was on an
increase food supply was getting scanty. But these conditions have now become
things of past. In recent times population of Great Britain has increased only insignificantly. England
has today become a great manufacturing nation and though she does not produce
enough food for her dense population, she can exchange her manufactured
products with the agricultural products of other countries and sustains a much
larger population than what Malthus could imagine.
2. Malthus, in fact exaggerated the rate
of increase of population.
(a) He did not
realise the biological fact that the fecundity of human beings diminishes with
advance of civilization.
(b) A general
rise in standard of living of the world population has decreased births.
Malthus did not foresec all these developments.
(c) He also
fails to give weight to the various social tendencies which today operate
against large families.
3. Malthus also failed to foresee the
rapid increase in the production of food stuffs which modern nations can
command.
(a) He did not
realise that law of Diminishing Returns could be checked by improvements in
methods of agriculture.
(b) He did not
also understand that food-supply produced by a nation is not an effective limit
to her population, the limit is in fact set by the quantity of food-stuffs that
a country can command, either by herself producing it or by importing it from
other countries. A manufacturing country may grow very little food-stuffs but
may export its manufactured goods and import food supplies instead and may thus
support a very heavy population.
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