Thomas Malthus, an English cleric and economist best known for his influential work "An Essay on the Principle of Population" (1798), concluded that population growth tends to outpace the growth of resources, particularly food supply. He argued that while population can increase geometrically (exponentially), food supply can only increase arithmetically (linearly). This disparity would inevitably lead to shortages of resources, resulting in poverty, famine, and societal strife.
Malthus believed that without checks to population growth—such as famine, disease, and war—human populations would continue to grow until they reach the limits of available resources. His theories have sparked considerable debate and discussion in both economics and demography, influencing later thinkers, including Charles Darwin in his formulation of the theory of natural selection.
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