Karl Marx went one step further and argued that starvation was caused by the unequal

distribution of wealth and its accumulation by capitalists. It has nothing to do with the
population. The population is dependent on economic and social organization. The problems
of overpopulation and limits to resources, as enunciated by Malthus, are inherent and
inevitable features associated with the capitalist system of production.

Marx’s contention that food production could not increase rapidly was also debated
when new technology began to give farmers much greater fields. French sociologist E.
Dupreel (1977) argued that an increasing population would spur rapid innovation and
development to solve problems, whereas a stable population would be complacent and less
likely to progress.

The Marxian approach is also referred as Historical Determinism. His theory of

population growth is implicit and is implied in his general theory of communism.

Marxian theory of Population Growth

Karl Marx (1818 – 1883) was a German philosopher and founder of modern
communism. His theory of population was christened as the theory of surplus population.
Karl Marx completely rejected the Malthusian Theory.

While postulating his general theory of communism and scientific interpretation of

history in his book – the Communist Manifesto, and Das Kapital. He gave some ideas
about population growth.

Karl Marx (1818-1883) is regarded as the Father of Communism. He did not separately

propose any theory of population, but his surplus population theory has been deduced
from his theory of communism. Marx opposed and criticized the Malthusian theory of
population.

Karl Marx criticized the capitalist economy had a very different idea about population
growth. For Marx, these social problems were not the fault of the poor workers, but of
the capitalist system that exploited them.

Marx made the scientific interpretation of human history. He said just like there are the
scientific explanation for the physical phenomenon, the same are there for social
phenomenon. He said the essence of history is change in the modes of production in any
society and this changes is always progressive.

Marx considered that society, especially feudal and capitalist society has two major
economic classes viz.

1. The Rich
2. The Poor

Rich were those who have means of production and earn their profit by exploiting the
poor. On the other hand, the poor were those who sell their energy & will to work to
these rich people in exchange of wages.
The employers earn profit by exploiting the poor, this profit is known as surplus
profit. According to Marx in no country of world population increase on account of fertility
but it increases only on account of capitalist policies.

The capitalist makes labour part of their production and still something out of that. By
installing labour-saving machines a capitalist wants to have the maximum surplus-value of
that. As a result of this unemployment spreads, wage declines, and poverty
increases. The poor population can not nourish their children on account of their poverty
thus they try to increase the population by reproduction so that the next generation would
also help them to generate extra wages.

However due to the increase in the advanced technology and excess labourers the
condition of surplus population and Unemployment generates. This is the main cause of
misery.

He came to the conclusion that the main causes of the surplus population were nothing
else but the wrong politics of capitalists. Marx was on the view that in the socialist society
reproductive behavior would develop a complete harmony between the individual and the
society.

Marx suggested that for population control fall of capitalism is the only mean
and distributive justice, state control over resources can mitigate the food crisis. Thus his
theory is the socio-economic model of population control.

Criticism of Marx
The theory of Marx was criticised on the following grounds – 

1. An increase in population does not necessarily lead to a decrease in wages. There are
many socio-economic factors which are responsible.
2. Population growth does not necessarily due to a decrease in wages, this may occur
due to improved medical facilities.
3. The theory of Marx is applicable only in capitalist society and not in other societies.
4. According to Marx, the higher the wages, the lower the birth rate, but faith and
religion may also play a significant role. This he did not consider.

trMalthusian Theory of Population

Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834) was the key figure to analyze the population
statistics. His formulation on population was a landmark in the history of population
theories. He generalized the relationship between population factors and social change.

In 1798, Malthus gave a theory on population. This theory is based on the observation of
the western European population and society. His theory supported the capitalist system of
economics and deterministic approaches to geography. In his theory, he explained the way
in which nature controlled the population and neglected the role of technology and medical
advancement to control the population.

In his Essay on the Principle of Population (1798) Malthus argued that because of

the strong attraction of the two sexes, the population could increase by
multiples, doubling every twenty-five years. He contended that the population would
eventually grow so large that food production would be insufficient.

The human capacity for reproduction exceeded the rate at which subsistence from the land
can be increased. Malthus further wrote ‘Population when unchecked increases in a
geometrical ratio. Subsistence increases only in an arithmetical ratio.’

Malthus contended that the world’s population was growing more rapidly than the available
food supply. He argued that the food supply increases in an arithmetic progression (1, 2,
3, 4, and so on), whereas the population expands by a geometric progression (1, 2, 4, 8,
and so on).

According to him, the population could increase by multiples, doubling every twenty-five

years. He said the gap between the food supply and population will continue to grow
over time. 

Even though the food supply will increase, it would be insufficient to meet the needs of the
expanding population. Moreover, famine and other natural calamities cause widespread
suffering and increase the death rate, which is nature’s check against the population.

5. ue to a great extent that in a capitalist society there is a surplus population on account

of unemployment. But it is not to presume that under a socialist system there will be
no need to check population growth at any stage.
6. Even in communist countries, population growth is checked on the plea that no
mother should have more children so that their mother so that their health does not
deteriorate.
7. In the erstwhile USSR, factory workers were provided contraceptives in their factories
so that the birth rate was kept low.
8. If economic inequality is the main cause of the birth rate then in these countries rates
should not differ. Because these inequalities have come to an end. The necessity of
family planning is felt in these countries.

In brief, Malthus theory states that:

1. The population is necessarily limited by the means of subsistence.

2. Population invariably increases where means of subsistence increased, unless
prevented by some very powerful and obvious checks.
3. These checks, and the checks which repress the superior power of the population and
keep its effects on a level with the means of subsistence, are all resolvable into moral
restraint, vice and misery.

Malthus based his above arguments on man’s two basic characteristics essential to the
maintenance of life:

 (i) The need for food, and

 (ii) the passion between sexes.

It was the second which led people to marry at a relatively early age and would result in such
a large number of births that the population would double itself in few years if unchecked by
misery and vice.
Malthus referred to two classes of checks which kept population down:

1. Positive means:

He spoke of famine (hunger), disease or war, pestilence and vicious customs about
women.

2. Negative means:

He explicitly demanded artificial means of birth control and suggested as an alternative

that the birth rate be decreased through preventive measures such as late marriage
(postponing marriage until later age), moral restraint, and chastity (abstinence). 

He contended that without such restraints the world would face widespread hunger, poverty
and misery.

The ‘positive’ and ‘preventive’ checks which occur in the human population to prevent
excessive growth relate to practices affecting mortality and fertility respectively. 

Malthus saw the tension between population and resources as a major cause of the
misery of much of humanity. He was not, however, in favor of contraceptive methods, since
their use did not generate the same drive to work hard as would a postponement of marriage.

Malthus argued that positive and preventive checks are inversely related to each
other. In other words, where positive checks are very effective, the preventive checks are
relatively less effective and vice versa.

However, in all societies, some of these checks are in constant operation although in the
varying magnitude of effectiveness. Malthus believed that despite these checks, the
inability of increased food supply to keep abreast of population increase always results
in some kind of a situation of overpopulation.