“The power of population is so superior to the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man, that premature death must in some shape or other visit the human race.”

Question

—Thomas Malthus, An Essay on the Principle of Population, 1798

Which of these statements best summarizes Malthus’s ideas on the relationship between population growth and agricultural production?

(1 point)
Responses

Population growth, paired with improvements in farming, would most benefit underprivileged social classes.
Population growth, paired with improvements in farming, would most benefit underprivileged social classes.

Population growth could be controlled if new developments in agricultural production were used to fight hunger.
Population growth could be controlled if new developments in agricultural production were used to fight hunger.

Population growth would eventually outpace agricultural production and lead to famine and starvation.
Population growth would eventually outpace agricultural production and lead to famine and starvation.

Population growth would lead to the development of permanent, complex world societies.

Answer 1

The statement that best summarizes Malthus’s ideas on the relationship between population growth and agricultural production is:

Population growth would eventually outpace agricultural production and lead to famine and starvation.

Malthus argued that since population grows exponentially while food production grows arithmetically, there would come a point when the population would surpass the ability of the earth to produce enough sustenance, resulting in famine and other checks on population growth.