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E-book
Author Charbit, Yves.

Title Economic, social and demographic thought in the XIXth Century : the population debate from Malthus to Marx / Yves Charbit
Published Dordrecht : Springer, ©2009

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Description 1 online resource
Contents The population controversy and beyond -- Population, economic growth and religion : Malthus as a populationist -- From Malthusianism to populationism : The French liberal economists (1840-1870) -- The Malthusian trap : The failure of Proudhon -- Capitalism and population : Marx and Engels against Malthus -- Beneath demographic issues
Summary According to current understanding, Malthus was hostile to an excess of population because it caused social sufferings, while Marx was favourable to demographic growth in so far as a large proletariat was a factor aggravating the contradictions of capitalism. This is unfortunately an oversimplification. Both raised the same crucial question: when considered as an economic variable, how does population fit into the analysis of economic growth? Even though they started from the same analytical standpoint, Marx established a very different diagnosis from that of Malthus and built a social doctrine no less divergent. The book also discusses the theoretical and doctrinal contribution of the liberal economists, writing at the onset of the industrial revolution in France (1840-1870), and those of their contemporary, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, who shared with Marx the denunciation of the capitalist system. By paying careful attention to the social, economic, and political context, this book goes beyond the shortcomings of the classification between pro- and anti-populationism. It sheds new light over nineteenth century controversies over population in France, a case study for Europe
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Print version record
Subject Demography -- Europe -- History -- 19th century
Population -- History -- 19th century
SOCIAL SCIENCE -- Demography.
Sciences sociales.
Sciences humaines.
Demography
Population
Europe
Genre/Form History
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9781402099601
1402099606
1402099592
9781402099595