Question

Which of the following did Thomas Malthus theorize?

A. An increase in population will stimulate society to increase food production.
B. If left unchecked, a population will exhaust its available resources, resulting in naturally occurring checks on the population, such as famine, disease, and war.
C. Overpopulation can lead to unsuitable farming practices that may degrade the land.
D. Optimum population is achieved when the number of people working with available resources produces the highest economic return, resulting in the highest standard of living.

Answer 1

Thomas Malthus theorized that unchecked population growth would outstrip available resources, leading to famine, disease, and war, acting as 'positive checks' to reduce the population.

Step-by-step explanation:

Thomas Malthus theorized that if left unchecked, a population will exhaust its available resources, resulting in naturally occurring checks on the population, such as famine, disease, and war. These are referred to as Malthusian disasters. He believed that population growth was limited by the means of subsistence and that excess population would inevitably be reduced by these 'positive checks' which increase mortality rates.

Therefore, the correct answer is B: If left unchecked, a population will exhaust its available resources, resulting in naturally occurring checks on the population, such as famine, disease, and war.