Malthusian catastrophe
E5962
A Malthusian catastrophe is a theoretical scenario in which unchecked population growth outstrips food production, leading to widespread famine, disease, and social collapse.
Aliases (1)
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
demographic theory concept
→
economic theory concept → theoretical scenario → |
| associatedWith |
carrying capacity
→
famine → overpopulation → population crash → resource depletion → |
| basedOn | Malthusian theory of population → |
| coreIdea |
geometric population growth vs arithmetic food growth
→
population tends to grow faster than food supply → |
| criticizedFor |
pessimism about human adaptation
→
underestimating technological innovation → |
| describedIn | An Essay on the Principle of Population → |
| field |
demography
→
ecology → economics → environmental studies → population studies → |
| hasAssumption |
absence of effective population control
→
fixed or slowly growing agricultural output → limited natural resources → |
| hasCause |
exponential population growth
→
limited food supply → resource scarcity → unchecked population growth → |
| hasEffect |
conflict over resources
→
decline in living standards → disease outbreaks → increased mortality → population crash → social collapse → widespread famine → |
| influenced |
environmental alarmism debates
→
neo-Malthusianism → population control policies → |
| namedAfter |
Thomas Malthus
→
surface form: "Thomas Robert Malthus"
|
| preventedBy |
birth control
→
demographic transition → economic development → family planning → improvements in food production → technological progress in agriculture → |
| proposedBy |
Thomas Malthus
→
surface form: "Thomas Robert Malthus"
|
| relatedConcept |
doomsday scenario
→
ecological overshoot → limits to growth → tragedy of the commons → |
| timePeriodProposed | late 18th century → |
Referenced by (3)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form: "Malthusian trap"
subject surface form: "Thomas Malthus"