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A Species Out of Control?

A Species Out of Control?. Population Trends and the Malthus’ Theory of Population. World Population. Malthus’ Law of Population. Historical Backdrop. French enlightenment Marquis Condorcet: had an unbounded faith in the progress of science believed in a natural order of human progress

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A Species Out of Control?

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  1. A Species Out of Control? Population Trends and the Malthus’ Theory of Population

  2. World Population

  3. Malthus’ Law of Population

  4. Historical Backdrop • French enlightenment • Marquis Condorcet: • had an unbounded faith in the progress of science • believed in a natural order of human progress • William Godwin: • problems of the working class result from unjust social institutions • Reason and education are the solutions to social problems

  5. Industrial Revolution • French Revolution • Speenhamland law of 1795 (Poor law reform act) which guaranteed a minimum income based on the price of wheat

  6. An Essay on the Principle of Population • Published anonymously in 1798 • purpose: • to understand the causes of the increases poverty in the last decade of the 18th century • to refute the optimism of Condorecet and Godwin • Presented the law of population as a law of nature

  7. Assumptions • Food increases at an arithmetic rate: 2, 4, 6, 8, …owing to the limited availability of land • Population increases at a geometric rate: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, … owing to the passion between the sexes

  8. Population Depends on Two Types of Checks • Preventive checks: • keep down the birth rate • vice and moral restraint • Positive checks: • keep up the death rate • disease, famine, war, pestilence, etc

  9. Implications? • Who does Malthus imply is responsible for poverty: society or the individual? • What is Malthus’ position on the Poor Laws? • Should society help the poor? Why or Why not? • Do you agree with Malthus? • How is Malthus’ theory related to the environmental movement? • What is the Malthusian dilemma?

  10. 6 billion and counting • http://www.popexpo.net/english.html

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