The malthusian theory_ Environmental studies

1. Amit Z Chaudhari
The Malthusian
theory

2. T h e M a l t h u s i a n t h e o r y
The Malthusian Theory_ AZC_2017_Environmental Studies _ B. Pharm. 2
- In his 1798 work, An Essay on “ the Principle of Population”, Malthus
examined the relationship between population growth and resources
and developed the Malthusian theory of population growth.
Observation:
- While resources tended to grow arithmetically, populations
exhibit exponential growth.

3. The Malthusian Theory_ AZC_2017_Environmental Studies _ B. Pharm. 3
the dangers of excessive population growth:
- human population would continue to grow until they would become
too large to be supported by the food grown on available agricultural
land.
- The local carrying capacity, the capacity of ecosystems or societies to
support the local population will disturbed.
Solutions : there are two types of 'checks' that can reduce a population's growth rate.
- Preventive checks / "moral restraint. "
- people must practice abstinence before marriage
- forced sterilization where necessary,
- institute criminal punishments for unprepared parents who had
more children than they could support.
- Even in his time, this solution was controversial.
T h e M a l t h u s i a n t h e o r y

4. The Malthusian Theory_ AZC_2017_Environmental Studies _ B. Pharm. 4
- " Positive checks " / " Malthusian catastrophe "
- If human population crosses the local carrying capacity.
- that may shorten the average lifespan by naturally occurring
checks such as disease, warfare, famine, and poor living and
working environments.
- This phenomenon is called as Malthusian catastrophe (Malthusian
crisis) , which is a forced return of a population to basic survival.
T h e M a l t h u s i a n t h e o r y

5. The Malthusian Theory_ AZC_2017_Environmental Studies _ B. Pharm. 5
" famine - Malthusian catastrophe "
- is one of the globally observed crisis, however, food production has
grown faster than population due to transformational advances in
agricultural technology.
but
- agricultural technology food production, combined with threats to
other aspects of the earth's habitat such as global warming, make
overpopulation a still more serious threat in the future.
T h e M a l t h u s i a n t h e o r y

6. End of topic
Reference:
https://www.boundless.com/sociology/t
extbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/population-and-
urbanization-17/population-growth-122/malthus-theory-of-
population-growth-689-9631/
http://study.com/academy/lesson/malthusian-
theory-of-population-growth-definition-lesson-quiz.html