Comprehension Passage
The Malthusian Theory of Population, proposed by Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus in the late 18th century, posits that population growth tends to outstrip the growth of resources, leading to inevitable checks on population levels. Malthus argued that while population tends to grow exponentially, the availability of resources, particularly food, increases at an arithmetic rate. This inherent imbalance between population and resources creates a scenario where the population will eventually surpass the capacity of the environment to sustain it. According to Malthus, there are two types of checks that act to limit population growth: preventive checks and positive checks. Preventive checks are measures taken by individuals to control their own reproduction, such as delayed marriage and abstinence. Malthus believed that these preventive checks were crucial in maintaining a balance between population and resources. On the other hand, positive checks are natural phenomena and events that limit population growth, such as famines, diseases, and wars.
What fundamental principle, according to the passage, remains relevant even in the face of technological progress?
1
Infinite resources and exponential population growth
2
Finite resources and preventive checks
3
Technological determinism
4
Unpredictable population dynamic