Thomas Malthus

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Definition of 'Thomas Malthus'

An 18th-century British philosopher and economist famous for his ideas about population growth. Malthus' population theories were outlined in his book, "An Essay on the Principle of Population", first published in 1798. In it he theorized that populations will continue to grow until growth is stopped or reversed by disease, famine, war or calamity. He developed what is now referred to as the Malthusian growth model, an exponential formula used to forecast population growth.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Thomas Malthus'

Thomas Malthus was a controversial figure. The late 18th and early 19th centuries were marked by philosophers who believed that humanity would continue to grow and improve itself, and could create a utopian society. Malthus countered this argument by saying that, throughout history, a portion of the general population has always been poor and miserable, that this was unlikely to change and that these factors actually helped control population growth.
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'Thomas Malthus'

  • An Exploration Of The Development Of Financial Markets

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/basics/03/071803.asp
    ... Chief intellectuals at the time, among whom was Thomas Malthus, predicted that this
    stasis would become a normal part of the future cycles of humanity: every ...

  • The Uncertainty Of Economics: Exploring The Dismal Science

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/basics/03/071103.asp
    ... TUTORIAL: Economics Basics Origins The phrase "dismal science" was coined by Thomas
    Carlyle in response to Thomas Malthus' beliefs that the exponential ...

  • The History Of Economic Thought

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/economic-thought.asp
    ... Advertisement - Article continues below. The Dismal Science of Marx and Malthus
    Karl Marx and Thomas Malthus had decidedly poor reactions to Smith's treatise. ...

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