The concept of population growth has evolved significantly since the dawn of agriculture 12,000 years ago, which facilitated the rise of cities and gradual population increase. By the Enlightenment era, technological advancements pushed the global population over a billion. The Industrial Revolution further accelerated growth, leading to over 6 billion people by 2000, with projections of 7.5 billion by 2020. This exponential growth sparked the theories of Thomas Robert Malthus, an English scholar who, in his 1798 essay “An Essay on the Principle of Population,” introduced the “Malthusian trap.” This concept argues that advancements in food production due to scientific innovation are offset by simultaneous population increases, resulting in a cyclical struggle, especially among the impoverished.
Malthus’s perspective was a stark contrast to his contemporaries’ optimistic views on technological progress. He foresaw a world where population growth would outpace food supply, leading to widespread famine and disease. Today, his ideas remain a subject of debate, raising questions about societal responsibility in population control, government policies on family size, and the sustainability of human societies. As the global population nears 10 billion, these discussions become increasingly pertinent.
