Happy Birthday Thomas Malthus

Thomas Malthus was an 18th century scholar who thought that surplus of resources led to excessive growth, rather than improving the standards of the lower classes.

Which in turn would lead to famines and disease - which in modern reading has also been interpreted to include environmental damage.

He was one of the first to suggest that population and quality of life is limited by the resources available.

His writings on population and the earth’s ability to support them have been very influential, and controversial. Not least because Malthus and his followers are generally in favour of population controls.

In a modern context this takes the form of slowing population growth to protect the environment for future generations.

Malthus’ world view is often criticised as being too pessimistic, and that humans will always invent their way out of catastrophe.

Fingers crossed Malthus is wrong, and we can find a way to preserve life on earth in a sustainable way.