Final answer:
Thomas Malthus was an English thinker who analyzed population growth's economic impact, suggesting dire consequences if growth went unchecked.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Malthus was a thinker from England, best known for his contributions to the fields of demography and political economy. He studied the economic implications of population growth and theorized that population increases geometrically, while food supply grows arithmetically. As such, he concluded that without checks, such as war, famine, and disease—which he called 'positive checks'—population growth would lead to poverty and resource scarcity. In response, he advocated for preventive measures such as moral restraint to mitigate such an outcome.
Additionally, Malthus's work had a significant impact on other thinkers, such as Charles Darwin, who was influenced by Malthusian theory in developing his own theory of natural selection. Despite being a controversial figure and although parts of his theory were eventually challenged by subsequent demographic and technological developments, Malthus's work remains a foundational piece in understanding demographic changes especially during the Industrial Revolution era.