Great Economists · Classical
Thomas Malthus
The parson-economist who said population outruns food: geometric vs arithmetic growth, positive and preventive checks, the Malthusian trap that held for millennia, how the Industrial Revolution escaped it, and his influence on Darwin and later doomsayers.
Step 1 of 6 · Overview30 min read ·
Key idea
Prereqs: David Ricardo. Next: John Stuart Mill; Development economics. Sources: Malthus, *An Essay on the Principle of Population* (1798); Gregory Clark, *A Farewell to Alms* (2007); Crash Course World History #215.Next: 1. The argument