AN ESSAY ON THE PRINCIPALS OF POPULATION by THOMAS MALTHUS

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS:

sedentary agriculture

food was plentiful

growth of population

Food is important to:

sustain life;

provide energy;

promote growth.

“Essay on the Principle of Population”:

planet’s population persists in a subsistence level (balanced situation);

food has a levelling effected;

If food increases, population increases too.

Population increase is “exponential” but food’s increase remains constant.

Consequence: exceeding people would die.

Levelling: positive checks

Malthus criticised the Elizabethans “Poor Laws”.

it is possible to outwit the population ‘”trap” (preventive checks)