Economic, Social and Demographic Thought in the XIXth Century: The Population Debate from Malthus to Marx

According to current understanding, Malthus was hostile to an excess of population because it caused social suffering. Marx, on the other hand, approved of demographic growth in so far as a large proletariat was a factor that aggravated the contradictions of capitalism. This is an oversimplification. Both raised the same crucial question: when considered as an economic variable, how does population fit into the analysis of economic growth? Even though they started from the same analytical standpoint, Marx established a very different diagnosis from that of Malthus and built a social doctrine no less divergent. By paying careful attention to the social, economic, and political context, this book goes beyond the shortcomings of the classification between pro- and anti-populationism. It sheds light on nineteenth century controversies over population in France. The book discusses in detail the Malthusian as well as Marxian ideas on population as expressed by liberal economists at the onset of the industrial revolution in France (1840-1870). The book compares these with the ideas of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon.