Two statements are given, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): Theory of population growth given by Malthus was optimistic.
Reason (R): As per Malthus Population grows at a much higher rate than agricultural subsistence.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
Among the most famous theories of demography is the one associated with the English political economist Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834). Malthus’s theory of population growth – outlined in his Essay on Population (1798) – was a rather pessimistic one. He argued that human populations tend to grow at a much faster rate than the rate at which the means of human subsistence (specially food, but also clothing and other agriculture-based products) can grow. Therefore humanity is condemned to live in poverty forever because the growth of agricultural production will always be overtaken by population growth.