ABSTRACT

This chapter is about worldviews that at some fundamental levels are rooted in the Malthusian prognosis regarding the prospects of continued human material progress within the confines of a finite earth. In this regard, Malthusians of all stripes take limits to economic growth seriously, although they may differ on the principal causes for the limits. This ‘pessimistic’ tradition regarding the possibilities of unabated economic growth has a long history and is founded on strong and intellectually fascinating arguments. In addition, the Malthusian worldviews have been responsible for galvanizing social and environmental movements that have left significant marks on human history since the mid-eighteenth

century.This chapter is about the intellectual legacies and the social and environmental movements that have been created by the various Malthusian and neoMalthusian creeds.