Industrial Revolution & Malthus

Around the year 1800, the industrial revolution spreads across the world, as the wide spread use of fossil fuels shattered the bottleneck on human population. With loose constrains on energy supply, in many countries, including England, went through the Modern Demographic Transition (Figure 2). The death rates drop rapidly due to improvements in food supply and sanitation, which increased life spans and reduced disease. These improvements include access to technology, public health efforts, and improved farming techniques. Without a corresponding fall in birth rates, this produces a large increase in population. In fact, many African countries are stuck in this stage due to stagnant economic growth and effect of AIDS.  In the next stage of the Modern Demographic Transition, birth rates fall due to access to contraception, increase in status and education of women, increase in parental investment in education of children, and transition in values. During this stage, population growth begins to level off. At the final stage of the Modern Demographic Transition, there are low birth rates and death rates. Today, many countries, such as Germany and Japan, have birth rates dropping below the replacement level, resulting in shrinking populations. Furthermore, all developed nations have undergone the Modern Demographic Transition while many developing countries are in various stages.

Figure 2: Modern Demographic Transition in England

As these population dynamics were changing at the end of 18^th century, many scientists began proposing ideas and publishing literature on the subject of population growth. In 1798, Thomas Malthus, intrigued by poverty existing in all societies, publishes An Essay on the Principle of Population, as it affects the Future Improvement of Society with remarks on the Speculations of Mr. Godwin, M. Condorcet, and Other Writers. In this essay, Malthus, articulating as a pure biologist, hypothesized populations would grow in areas with plenty resources. Further, when these resources are strained, some population wouldn’t survive. He pointed to factors such as famine, warm, and disease as checks on the population. Malthus organized checks into two categories: positive checks and preventative checks. Positive checks were solutions to population growth that raised the death rate while preventative checks were solutions to reduced birth rate. Malthus’ essay fired off great debate and discussion of the topics.

In 1803, Malthus wrote the second edition of his essay, An Essay on the Principle of Population; or, a View of its Past and Present Effects on Human Happiness. In this edition, Malthus spoke both as a biologist and social scientist, with large empirical backing. He responded to criticism of his paper, revised some of his arguments, and outlined other influences. Specially, Malthus traveled to different continents to examine the principle of population on various regions of the world. Furthermore, the Modern Demographic Transition is under effect. Malthus sees countries reducing their death rate and populations exploding as birth rates remain high.

Over the course of the first third of 19^th century, Malthus provided copious, detailed evidence to his arguments. After traveling the world, he advocated moral restraint, in the form of sexual abstinence and late marriage, as a check on population. In addition, he expanded on his ideas of preventative checks. Malthus noted that moral restraint produced misery for those practicing it, as saw these strains led to vice. Vices included use of prostitution and birth control. Malthus found that vices led to increased unhappiness and exposure to disease and drugs. However, Malthus concluded that these vices were consequence of constrains on population growth.