《经济思想史英文课件教学版-Chapter 5 THOMAS ROBERT MALTHUS》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《经济思想史英文课件教学版-Chapter 5 THOMAS ROBERT MALTHUS（10页珍藏版）》请在金锄头文库上搜索。
1、Chapter 5 THE CLASSICAL SCHOOL THE CLASSICAL SCHOOL THOMAS ROBERT MALTHUSTHOMAS ROBERT MALTHUS IntroductionIntroduction Thomas Robert Malthus 1766 1834 is an important although controversial figure in classical economic thought He addressed such topics as population growth the methodology of GDP acc
2、ounting value theory diminishing returns land rent and aggregate demand Historical Setting Two major controversies in England attracted Malthus s attention during the period in which he wrote The first was an increase in poverty and the controversy over what to do about it The second controversy of
3、note was over the so called corn laws 5 1 HISTORICAL AND INTELLECTUAL SETTING 5 2 MALTHUS S POPULATION THEORY Guided by win win concept In the first edition of An Essay on the Principle of Population Malthus set out to account for much of that poverty and misery observable among the lower classes of
4、 every nation Malthus identified two types of checks to population growth those he called preventive checks and those he called positive checks Preventive Checks to Population Guided by win win concept Preventive checks to population growth are those that reduce the birth rate The preventive check o
5、f which Malthus approved was termed moral restraint Positive Checks to Population Malthus also recognized certain positive checks to population those that increase the death rate These were famine misery plague and war Guided by win win concept Policy Implication The Poor Laws According to Malthus p
6、overty and misery are the natural punishment for the failure by the lower classes to restrain their reproduction From this view followed a highly significant policy conclusion there must be no government relief for the poor In Book II of Principles of Political Economy Malthus developed his theory o
7、f the potential insufficiency of effective demand The Need for Unproductive Consumption Rent is a surplus based on the difference between the price of agricultural produce and the costs of pro duction wages interest and profits 5 3 THE THEORY OF MARKET GLUTS Policy Implications This theory of market
8、 gluts and the need for unproductive consumption had sev eral policy implications The most important one was that the corn laws must be retained 5 4 ASSESSMENT OF MALTHUS S CONTRIBUTIONS Malthus s theories were well received by wealthy landlords Malthus did overrate the significance of rents and spe
9、nding by the land lords and the rate of growth of population relative to that of subsistence Malthus developed a theory of diminishing returns In recognizing these criticisms we must emphasize that Malthus s population theory still has considerable relevance in today s world Thank You For Listening
