Previous Year Question
T. Malthus propounded one of the most famous theories, called ‘The Malthusian Theory’ which is related to
Poverty
Population
Unemployment
Economy
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Thomas Robert Malthus, in his famous work An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798), attempted to explain the relationship between population growth and food supply.
According to Malthus, if population remains unchecked, population tends to grow in geometrical/exponential progression, such as 1, 2, 4, 8, 16..., whereas food supply increases in arithmetic progression, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5....
Consequently, in the long run, population growth may outpace the growth of food production, creating a population-resource imbalance.
Malthus broadly explained checks on population growth under two categories—Preventive Checks and Positive Checks. Preventive checks restrain population growth beforehand, whereas positive checks such as famine, disease and war may reduce population pressure by increasing mortality.
Therefore, the central subject of the Malthusian Theory is population, its growth and its relationship with available subsistence/resources; poverty, unemployment or the economy may be broader consequences, but the direct answer to the question is Population.