The Evil of Overpopulation. the Reception of Early Malthusian Ideas in Harriet Martineau’s Illustrations of Political Economy

Seminar paper from the year 2013 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Globalization, Political Economics, grade: 1,3, University of Passau, language: English, abstract: The book discusses the reception of Thomas Robert Malthus’ ‘An Essay on the Principle of Population’ by Harriet Martineau’s in her ‘Illustrations of Political Economy’. The extensive comparison between Malthus’s ‘Essay’ and Martineau’s ‘Illustrations’ reveals that she did more than just reproduce the ideas of her friend and mentor. Although she generally adhered to his logic, she differed significantly on certain aspects concerning the question of how to deal with overpopulation. On the one hand, she omits several of Malthus’s impractical suggestions. On the other hand, she placed particular emphasis on the role of education, which would enable efficiency gains. Moreover, she exemplifies how a well-organised scheme of emigration could benefit not only the mother country but also the colonies by balancing supply and demand in both countries. Apart from the general analysis, her work is also discussed in the context of her time and the situation and status of Victorian women.