An Introduction to Thomas Malthus' Essay on the Principle of Population

Macat Economics Analysis

Main points highlighted:

• Sedentary agriculture: born 12.000 years ago, first way to coltivate lands, responsible of populations’ development;
• today: 7000000000 of people on Earth;
• food = essential to extend life, to provide energy, to promote growth;
• population numbers = constantly change according to the suitable resources of a country;
• balanced situation ( aromony between food and population ) = the subsistence level;
• too much food or too little causes a leveling of population;
• too much food : does not mean a growth in population;
• not too much food : death;
• example of school’s fishes:
- food increasing means
population increasing;
but food increases in
constantly while population
grows esponentially;
therefore the population who
exceeds will die and population
and resources return to
balance -> called positive
check;
• Malthus disapproved Elizabethan “poor law” -> social welfare and food redistribution to poor people will destroyed;
• the level may be defeated with preventive checks.