The correct option is 2 only
Explanation
Thomas Robert Malthus, an English economist, formulated a systematic theory on the relationship between population growth and resource availability in his famous work, An Essay on the Principle of Population.
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The theory was originally published in 1798. Malthus argued that human populations grow exponentially while food production grows linearly.
Statement 2 is Correct: Malthus postulated that population increases in a geometric progression (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16), whereas the food supply increases only in an arithmetic progression (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Therefore, the theory states that population grows faster than the food supply, not slower.
Statement 3 is Incorrect: Malthus did not suggest that physical checks are the only method. He identified two types of checks to control population growth:
- Preventive Checks: Voluntary measures adopted by people, such as late marriage, celibacy, and moral restraint.
- Positive (Physical) Checks: Natural or catastrophic events that shorten human life, such as famine, disease, war, and natural calamities, which operate when the population exceeds the carrying capacity.
Key Takeaway: The core of Malthusian theory is the imbalance between geometric population growth and arithmetic food production, leading to a "Malthusian Catastrophe" unless checked by moral restraint or natural disasters.