Download Unit 3 - Lesson 7 - Malthusian Catastrophe

Grade 12 World Issues – Unit 3 – Lesson 10
Malthusian Catastrophe
Malthusian Catastrophe – Population increase would outpace increases in the
means of subsistence.
In 1798, Thomas Malthus wrote Essay on the Principle of Population. In
nature, Malthus observed that plants and animals produce far more offspring
than can survive. He suggested that humans also are capable of overproducing
if reproduction is left unchecked. He concluded, unless family size was
regulated, human population would increase faster than its food supply resulting
in famine, and eventually, the downfall of humans. Among other names, this
idea is called the Malthusian Catastrophe, Malthus Theory or Malthus Principle.
To understand the Malthusian Catastrophe, it is necessary to look closely at the
logic of the underlying argument. Malthus suggested the human population
grows geometrically or exponentially. That is, the population doubles with each
new generation (i.e., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256…). The subsistence
requirement, in this case food, increases arithmetically. The change is linear
(i.e., 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14…). The idea is illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Malthusian Catastrophe showing Exponential Population Growth and
Arithmetic Subsistence Resource Change.
If population exceeds the capacity of the Earth’s food supply (i.e., Point of Crisis),
the population must decrease. In the Malthusian Catastrophe, the subsistence
resources are finite.
In biology, the theory asserts that the reproductive potential of most organisms
or species greatly exceeds the Earth’s capacity to support all possible offspring.
Consequently, species diversity is preserved through mechanisms and checks
that work to keep population sizes at levels below capacity. An example of a
check is predation.
For humans, Malthus identified a number of checks that would regulate or limit
population growth. The human checks included war, famine and disease.
Malthusian population theory was eventually dismissed for (1) its pessimism
and (2) its failure to take into account technological advances in agriculture and
food production.
Despite its inaccuracy, the Malthusian Catastrophe does raise concerns
regarding the limitations of the Earth’s resources to sustain increasing human
populations. Neo-Malthusians (i.e., modern believers in the principle) would
consider birth control as an acceptable solution to reduce and control human
population growth.