What debate did Thomas Malthus initiate?
What debate did Thomas Malthus initiate?
Thomas Malthus is a British economist who, in the year 1798, formulated a theory on population growth in his book "An Essay on the Principle of Population." His theory is known as the Malthusian growth model. In this theory, he uses a formula to depict population growth.
Malthus observed the population trends in England during the 1800s. He observed that the farmlands available during that time were insufficient to feed the entire population growing very fast. He stated that the population grows in geometric patterns, whereas food increases in an arithmetical design. This would lead to a shortage of food production. This theory influenced the Darwinian theory of natural selection and the school of Keynesian economics.
Malthus pointed out that people living in a society should put in active efforts to grow a society's economy and the development of the nation. This is because people are responsible for the consumption of the goods and services produced in an economy. However, mere consumption again cannot help society grow; people should also produce and invest. In short, an economic system grows through interdependence among the people.
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