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Criticism of Malthus led to the development of biological theories of population by Michael Sadler (1830), Herbert Spencer (1880), Raymoud Pearl (1924), Lowell Reed (924), Thomas Doubleday (1841) and Josue de Castro (1952)19. It also gave rise to Richard Jones's theory (1931) and the Cultural Theories of Dumount (1890), Fetter (1894), Nitti 91894), Brentano (1910), Ungern-Sternberg (1931), A. F. Weber (1899), Carr-Saunders (1936), D. V. Glass (1938), D. S. Thomas (1941), J. J. Spengler (1938), B. K. Wjelpton (1928) and W. S. Thompson (1924)20. Malthus's success lay in stimulating varied researches on demographic problems.
The Malthusian theory appeals to developing countries of Asia and Africa. It focuses attention on the necessity of reduction of birth rates there and so serves useful purpose. It is likely, however, to obstruct application of right remedies to the problem. It creates there the impression that food production cannot be pushed ahead of population growth unless birth rate is considerably reduced. It leads to disproportionate efforts towards family planning and agricultural development. It causes population to be treated as a burden rather than as an asset for economic development.
There are immense possibilities of agricultural advancement in developing countries like India. The land under cultivation for thousands of years has not yet exhausted its fertility. It calls for application of modern methods.
Economic growth is bound to reduce birth rate after a period. In no country rapid growth of population has sustained itself beyond a few decades.
The cultural theories stressed importance of non-economic forces in the determination of size and quality of population. Economists conceded these claims and resigned themselves from the task. Economic analyzed is now concerned with the affect of population growth on economic variable rather than with the cause of change of population. Given the increase in supply of labour, wage rate would fall to extend employment and bring supply of labour into equality with its demand.
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19 Sydney H. Coontz : population theories and Economic interpretation pp. 22-56.
20 Ibid. pp. 57-82] 85-87.
* Contributed by: -
Dr. R. P. Verma,
Ex. H.O.D. & Dean, Commerce and Business Management Dept.,
Arabinda Bhandari,
Strategic Management Researcher,
Ranchi University, Ranchi.
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