Jan 07, 2018 the optimum theory of population was propounded by edwin cannan and carrsaunders. Many of the ancient philosophers like confucius china, kautilya india, ibn khaldin arab, plato greece and modem thinkers like adam smith, david richard and. We may try to find out in the first instance how optimum theory is an improvement on the malthusian theory. When the population of country is neither too large nor too small, it is called optimum population. When m is zero, the country possesses optimum population. Optimum theory of population pdf the term optimum population makes evident that a central ingredient is welfare economics.
In its usual formulation, the optimum population level was that at which. Let us make a comparison between optimum theory and malthusian theory of population. Population growth, the settlement process and economic progress. Concepts of the overunderand optimum population geography. Optimum population, the malthusian population theory and. The optimum theory of population provides more detailed analysis as it considers over and under population and brings out the evils of both. The concept under, over, and optimum population came as opposition to the malthus theory of population.
It is the statistics of the population that is subjected to change in accordance with aging, birth, death, migration etc. The optimum theory is a dynamic one because over a period of time the per capita income may rise with the expansion in output due to improvements in knowledge, skill, capital equipment and other elements in production. The concept of optimum population has been defined differently by robbins, carrsaunders and dalton. Gottlieb defends the usefulness of the op timum concept and describes its measurement in an hypo thetical closed economy. It remained alive in the realm of theory, surfacing in the optimal. Population theory and the concept of optimum population 217 30. According to classical optimum population theory, the relevant value is taken to be economic output dasgupta 1969. By optimal population size one usually means the population size that maximizes value given certain constraints on available resources see e. The concept of optimum population has been defined differently by robbins, carrsaunders and. Kind of collectivity that persists through time even though its members are continuously changing through attrition and accession.
Kntrr wlcksell, forelasingar i nationalekonomi lectures in political economy, part i, lund, 1901. Theoretically, there is for any given state of the arts and any given supply of available natural resources, together with a given supply of capital instruments and a given social organization, a certain size of population which can operate these resources to the best advantage and produce the largest per. So, optimum theory of population is the modern theory of population. The relationship between population and resources forms the basis of the optimum population, theory. Criticism of the theory the optimum theory of population is not free from defects. Optimum theory of population optimum theory of population implies the ideal size of the population which a country try should possess on the basis of its resources and technology. The ideal state is that in which all members of a society are. The concept of optimum population is a static concept inapplicable and irrelevant. Population is a neutral phenomenon in the process of economic development policy implications. An optimum population is the population that produces full employment. Manuel goirlieb, the theory of optimum population for a closed society, in population theory attd policy, eds.
In contrast, today, most consider the relevant value to be human wellbeing. Optimum population theory apple b ugc net jrf academy. The optimum population is a concept where the human population is abl. Population theory and the concept of optimum population. A country is said to have an optimum population when the number of people is in balance with the available. Pay your bill, find free wifi, check your email, set up your voicemail, program your dvr and more. Despite the superiority of the optimum theory over the malthusian theory of population, it has its weaknesses.
According to this theory, at first manhour production is growing. The modern economists viewed that the available resource, capital equipment and technical knowledge could not be fully utilized when the population of a country is below the level of optimum population. Cambridge assessment international education cambridge. An examinition of meades objection to the individual utility criterion. The optimum population means the best and the most desirable size of a countrys population. Karl winkelblech 18101865german professor is firstly introduced the concept of population theory. Optimum population theory, notably the effect of given factors on the standard of living, is discussed in chapter 4. In much of the developing world, free or heavily subsidized. The first weakness of the optimum theory is that it is difficult to say whether there is anything like an optimum population. Adumerations to the idea that there must theoretically be some most desirable or optimum size of. Thus, the population of india may refer to the aggregate of persons who have. Optimum population also ensures the highest standard of living in a country. Whereas, the earlier study malthusian theory of population by malthus was a little bit. The optimum size of population is which along with the existing natural resources and a given state of technology, yields the highest income per capita in a country.
When m is positive, the country is overpopulated, and if it is negative, the country is underpopulated. Stamp, optimum population is one where carrying capacity of the land is equal to the demand of population. Malthus 17661834, in his famous book essay on the principle of population 1798, stated that. Pdf the problem of optimal population size tim campbell. Oct 17, 2017 the optimum theory of population provides more detailed analysis as it considers over and under population and brings out the evils of both. Instead of the maximum population, the modern economists have substituted the idea of the optimum population. Optimum population size general guide to personal and societies. Technical advance and substitution in free markets avoid major difficulties. There is no evidence about the optimum population level in any country. Mar 31, 2021 theory of optimum population, macroeconomics b com video edurev is made by best teachers of b com. Population increases faster in geometric progression than means of.
By optimum population is meant the ideal number of the population that a country. Population growth and the market in the early stages of society. Malthusian population theory the malthusian population theory is the outcome of an easy title an essay on population written in 1798 by reverend thomas robert malthus, an anglican clergyman and a well known political economist. Thus this concept is fundamentally economic in nature.
The critics have criticized the theory on the basis of the following grounds. Optimum population, the malthusian population theory and the. The problem of optimum savings has been discussed by ramsey on the assumption of a constant population and later by a number of economists on the more general assumption that the labour force expands at a constant exogenously fixed rate. Optimum population carsaunders defines optimum population as that population which produces maximum economic welfare. Introduction to modern economic growth international growth centre. As in the malthus theory of population, malthus asserted that population growth is always bad for any geographical region and it leads to a food crisis if population growth is high. We have to treat the ideal or optimum in regard to population as. The optimum theory of population is not free from defects. By optimum population we mean the ideal number of population that a country should have considering its resources. The theory of optimum population for a closed economy. Demographic transition theory and optimum population. Conventional conclusions of welfare theory would continue to be. Theories of population and development interrelations current thinkingnas,1986 the scientific evidence.
Burch1 abstract the widespread opinion that demography is lacking in theory is based in part on a particular view of the nature of scientific theory, generally known as logical empiricism or positivism. Malthusian theory defined overpopulation on in terms of food supply. The population which has the highest per capita income is known as optimum population. This work is licensed under a creative commons attribution. Aims to check the natural growth of population is wrong. Despite the superiority of the optimum theory over the malthusian theory of population, it has its weaknesses no evidence of optimum level.
The optimum theory of population was put forward as a reaction to the malthusian theory of population. The theorizing about population population size and change have remained an important subject since time immemorial. Thomas doubleday, a social philosopher and an english. Socially optimal population size and individual choice. Population increases faster in geometric progression than means of subsistence in arithmetical progression.
This video is highly rated by b com students and has been viewed 282 times. Cannan defined this theory in terms of return to labour. A newer school of philosophy of science, the modelbased view. The present theory and its shortcomings optimum theory of population in its wellknown formulation states that there is a certain size of population called the optimum population, which will result in a maximum manhour production1. They proposed the modern theory called the optimum theory of population. Wolfe adumbrations to the idea that there must theoretically be some most desirable or optimum size of population are to be met with in the literature of economics and social philosophy as far back as sismondi and richard cantillon. The economists like carr saunders considered optimum population as that which produces maximum welfare. Simultaneous optimization of population and capital. Many economists developed the optimum population theory. The theory of population in an inquiry concerning the improvement of society, the mode of conducting the subject which naturally presents itself, is, 1, to investigate the causes which have hitherto impeded the. Transfer of medical technology but not wealth from mdcs to ldcs has allowed for fastest population growth in poorest areas creating even larger gaps between resources and population. The theory further states that any deviation from the optimum point produces either under population or over population.
Maladjustment m is a function of two variables, the optimum level of population and the actual level of population a. Nov 22, 2015 optimum population optimum population is concern with population resource relationship, it is conceder about the population geography. Edwin cannan 1861 1935, an english economist, has been given the credit for defining what later came to be known as the concept of optimum population. The first beginnings of this concept may be traced to the writings of a german professor, karl winkelblech 18101865, who while describing population theory.
Optimum theory is optimistic and malthus was pessimist. In this video, i have tried to explain optimum theory of populationhope you guys like it. Malthus theory, marxs theory and theory of demographic transition. The optimum population is the one which leads to the highest quality of life where quality of life means adequate amount of food, energy, air of high quality. But, actually, population growth in some areas is very much. According to it, there is no danger from population increase so long as it does not exceed the number required for the optimum utilisation of the productive resources of the country. Optimum theory of population acceptance and criticism. Theory of optimum population, macroeconomics b com video. A country is regarded as underpopulated when an increase in population would cause an increase in the per capita real income of the people. Theory of optimum population, macroeconomics b com video edurev. Population theory and policy milbank memorial fund. One aspect of the literature on optimum population comes from economics, and focusses on abstract formal. Economic theory of optimal population springerlink.
Demographic transition theory and optimum population by pranjal prateek avionics, sc12b104, roll31 2. Sidgwick, edwin cannan, robbins, dalton and carrsaunders have rejected the malthusian theory of population. Indeed the idea is fairly explicit in platos laws, where the ideal. Ogburn suggests that although population, natural resources, economic organization, and. An optimum population ensures or secures a maximum return per head. The word optimum means the best and the most desirable size of a countrys population.
403 55 483 36 1632 266 1107 1630 1600 687 1410 1406 681 487 689 416 336 479 658 1184 736 1258 1033 151 1244 759 723 291 260 1325 1206 1459 292 612