Question

_______________ warned in 1798 that human population growth, if unchecked, would outstrip the potential for increasing food supplies to meet human subsistence needs.

a) Thomas Jefferson
b) Charles Darwin
c) Malthus
d) Albert Einstein

Answer 1

The correct answer is c. Thomas Malthus warned that unchecked population growth could lead to a Malthusian catastrophe where food supplies would be insufficient, resulting in famine, disease, and war.

Step-by-step explanation:

The person who warned in 1798 that human population growth, if unchecked, would outstrip the potential for increasing food supplies to meet human subsistence needs was Thomas Malthus. Thomas Malthus, an English economist and clergyman, is well-known for his predictions about the problems of overpopulation. In his book, An Essay on the Principle of Population, he theorized that while population increases geometrically, food supply can only increase arithmetically.

Consequently, if population growth is not controlled, it could lead to dire outcomes such as famine, disease, and war, illustrating a scenario known as the Malthusian catastrophe. This theory profoundly influenced later thinkers, including Charles Darwin in his work on natural selection.