S8 Ep1038: Malthusian Logic and the "Check" of Hunger. Guest: Patrick Scanlan. Scanlan discusses the influence of economist Thomas Robert Malthus on Victorian policy, noting his argument that population growth would inevitably outstrip food production. Malthus viewe

The John Batchelor Show · Jun 22, 2026 · 11m

Malthusian Logic and the "Check" of Hunger. Guest: Patrick Scanlan. Scanlan discusses the influence of economist Thomas Robert Malthus on Victorian policy, noting his argument that population growth would inevitably outstrip food production. Malthus viewed famine as nature's "last most dreadful resource" to restore balance. For Victorian policymakers, this logic justified a refusal to provide direct aid to the poor, fearing it would encourage "imprudent" reproduction and laziness. They believed that without the "check" of hunger, the Irish would refuse to work for low wages. Malthus…