Explain the view of Thomas Malthus on population growth in 1789 and contrast it with what has happened since that time

What will be an ideal response?

Thomas Malthus in his An Essay on the Principle of Population argued that human living standards could only temporarily rise above subsistence levels. In his view, higher living standards would bring forth more population and the increased population would eventually reduce living standards. The opposite, however, has occurred. Higher living standards have resulted in birthrates that are lower than the replacement rate that is necessary to keep a population from declining over time. The majority of the world’s population now resides in nations where the total fertility rate is less than that needed to keep a nation’s population stable over time.