Question

Using a diagram, outline why Malthus believed technological improvements would not improve living standards. Explain your reasoning why you agree or disagree with Malthus’s analysis.

Answer 1

Theory of population:-

Robert Malthus presented" theory of population" in 1798,which get modified in the year 1803.This theory explains how population,technological improvement and standard of living are related with each other.

Generally we consider that technological improvement brings better quality products,better production facilities,as a result it brings variety of product ranges available to population,and hence increased productivity results in employment generation,which automatically results in an improved standard of living,, however Malthus analysis totally opposes this concept.

As per Malthus analysis as technological improvement takes place in any country,,it provides ease in the life of demography,,but however it will not result in an improved standard of living.

Malthus theory points out that as technological improvement happens population of the demography or a country also increases,,increase in the technology is not equally proportionate to the increase in population ,technological improvement results in increased productivity ,but this increase is not enough for the increased number of population.

Increased in population is quick in Geometric ratio whereas the productivity increases in a slow manner.

Say for eg.in a country the productivity in the year 2000 was 500000 units with 800 farmers,,after 25 years the population get doubled ,here in these 20 years many technological advancements took place as a result people enjoyed a life filled with ease ,,now the population increased to 1600 people (farmer ,just considering every one is farmer in the country)with increased productivity of 732000 units.

Here we can clearly see that per person productivity or income in 2000 will be=500000/800=6.25 units or kg.

In 2020=732000/1600=458 units or kg.

Year 2000 even with less technological advancement have more productivity then 2020,, however technological advancements took place in these 20 years but it get diluted with increased number of population or large demographic picture.

He considered increase in population will be rapid unless a country do not takes proper measures to control.

Is it applicable in today's technological era?

Theory has many criticism in the form that as :-

1)increase in population with a time can not be took in consideration alone as with a time a death rate will also increase.As a country may face a natural calamity in the form of diseases,famine,floods and many other.

2)Land is limited so the agricultural productivity can not be increased much with technological improvement,,but why a country can not go on focusing on the other secondary and tertiary sector,,which will definately result in increased GDP of a country which will directly lead toward the improved standard of living .

3) Nowadays countries are focusing on Global market,,trying to participate by following the concepts of comparative cost advantage theories or absolute cost advantage theory and hence increasing productivity of that following country.

4)A country facing shortage of food supply can why not go for importing those products as technological advancements also brings easy transportation facilities,and easy storage facilities ,,this can lead to equalise the change in population with change in productivity,,at the same time can bring cost of import through focusing on service sector or secondary sector,,by exporting the same to other countries.

With these criticism this theory is not applicable to many of the developed countries,or to the country actively engaged in international business.

How its even applicable in some cases of countries?

In some Asian countries this old criticized theory can even be applicable..

As India Pakistan even after facing famine,pandemic,epidemic dealing with the population problem ,, technological advancements tooking place day by day but however even facing the problem of malnutrition, scarcity of food,lacking in basic needs,,as the population growth rate is much higher than the death rate of the country,,and the productivity is not increasing in the same proportion with the inreasing population.These countries however focusing on curbing population growth by following immense measures in the form of family planning measues,and awareness programmes,and many health care facilities.

Here in the case of these countries this theory is even applicable by diluting or nullifying all the critism of the theory.