Question

Population was termed as a self-perpetuating unit by
(a)Malthus
(b)Spencer
(c)Mobius
(d)Odum

Answer 1

Hint: Self-perpetuation is the capability of something to cause itself to continue to exist. Reproduction is one of the major characteristics of living organisms and this capability of reproduction leads to self-perpetuation of the species.

Complete answer:
Thomas Robert Malthus termed population as “Self perpetuating unit” in his work, “An Essay on the Principle of Population,” which was published in 1798.
The Malthusian Theory of Population is generally based on the exponential growth of population and arithmetic growth of food supply. According to him, a balance between population growth and food supply can be established through preventive and positive checks.

Additional information:
Some facts about the Malthusian theory of population:
-Thomas Robert Malthus was an 18th-century British economist. He was well known for the population growth philosophies which are outlined in his book “An Essay on the Principle of Population.” In that book, he explained that populations would continue to flourish until growth is stopped or reversed by disease, famine, war, or calamity.
-Additionally, he is also known for developing an exponential formula used to forecast population growth, which is also known as the Malthusian growth model.
-This theory states that in the coming year’s food production will not be able to keep up with growth in the human population, resulting in disease, famine, war, and calamity.
-In his book, he specifically stated that the human population increases geometrically whereas food production increases arithmetically. Under this paradigm, humans would eventually be unable to supply enough food to sustain themselves.

So, the correct option is ‘Malthus’.

Note: This theory was criticized by economists and ultimately disproved. Even today as the human population continues to grow, technological developments and migration have ensured that the percentage of people living below the poverty line continues to fall. Additionally, global interconnectedness stimulates the flow of aid from food-rich nations to develop regions.