Thomas Malthus' View of Modern

Thomas Malthus' View of Modern Agriculture In Light of his Criticism of the Poor Law Thomas Malthus was a renowned economist of the seventeenth century England. His main areas of interest were demographics and the status of the population. One of his particular works was an essay that criticised the implementation of the Poor Law. This law was meant to relief poverty. It presupposed that a community's poor were identified and them aided by the wealthy population.

The paupers were all brought together in workhouses, which were locations where the poor would live and work. The law was both welcome and criticised: the intention to aid the poor was noble, but on the other hand, it disadvantaged the working community and was perceived as an encouragement for poverty.

"A host of writers, in conformity with the principles of Adam Smith, argued that poor relief as it was administered in England, was opposed to the laws of nature, put a premium on idleness and incompetence, and encouraged the population to outgrow the means of subsistence." Thomas Malthus subscribed to this belief.

The modern agriculture is characterized by numerous features, such as the introduction of machines, government actions to reduce or increase the volume of agricultural activities, the volume of goods produced throughout agricultural activities or the particular features of each country. Malthus' system of beliefs revolved around the idea that humans generally produce more than they need and they should limit their consumption to a minimal subsistence level. This tendency to produce as much agricultural products as one can is obvious in most countries of the world.

However, the capability to do so is restricted by the unique features of each country. For instance, there are regions with highly fertile soils that sustain intensive agricultural activities. Out of these countries, some base their economy on agriculture, whereas others don't. On the other hand, there are the countries that do not have rich soils to support agricultural activities. These countries are generally specialized in other industries where they detain a comparative advantage, and then trade the internally produced goods for agricultural products.

Thomas Malthus' opinion in regard to this feature of the modern agriculture could be the critique addressed to the countries that produce more than they need. By exploiting the fertile soils, the individuals unjustifiably raise the bar for consumed products. This would then lead to excessive agricultural products represented by an offer greater than the demand.

Thomas Malthus has always been an advocate of the minimal subsistence level, believing that by producing only as much as we need, the humanity would register increased living standards and economic growth while in the same time protecting the environment. The difference between what was produced and what was actually necessary was considered a waste.

The English economist believed that the produced quantity should be established in accordance with the population it was supposed to serve and it should be increased only after strict calculations and at a well determined rate. However the arguments presented do indeed sound accurate, they cannot be applied to the contemporaneous economy. If Malthus' suggestions were applicable three centuries ago, today, they do not stand a chance. This is generally due to an increase of the earth's population that requires as much subsidies as possible.

However it is true that most people purchase and consume more than it would be required, it is also true that there are starving peoples that possess limited capabilities and that need to be aided and fed. On the other hand, the idea of producing only as much as to maintain a level of subsistence is shuttered by open international markets. Today, all countries maximize their comparative advantage to produce the best goods they can and then use them to purchase the items they cannot produce internally.

As such, the fertile soils countries' decision to produce more that their population needs is only natural. Another feature of the modern culture Thomas Malthus might object to is the involvement of governments. As such, the governing powers within some developing and less developed countries have implemented numerous programs to support the development of agricultural activities within the boundaries of their countries. These programs generally refer to subventions received by farmers as an incentive.

The English economist might put these programs down arguing that they once again promote the idea of producing more than the country needs. But the counterbalancing argument is that the measure is required by the international liberalized markets. Then, another feature.