Marxian Theory of Population Growth

Karl Marx (1818–1883) was a German philosopher and the founding father of contemporary
communism. His demographic theory was dubbed the theory of surplus population. Karl Marx
vehemently opposed the Malthusian Theory. The Marxian method is also known as Historical
Determinism. His notion of population expansion is embedded in his overall theory of
communism. This article will explain to you the Marxian Theory which will be helpful in
Geography preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Marxian Theory

• Karl Marx (1818-1883) is known as the "Father of Communism." He did not present a distinct
theory of population, but his surplus population theory was extrapolated from his communist
theory.
• Marx was an outspoken opponent of and critic of the Malthusian theory of population.
• Karl Marx, who condemned capitalism, had a totally different view of population increase.
• These societal issues, according to Marx, were the fault of the capitalist system that exploited the
impoverished workers.
• Marx provided a scientific understanding of human history. He stated that, just as there are
scientific explanations for physical phenomena, there are also explanations for social
phenomena.
• He stated that the core of history is a change in modes of production in any civilization and that
this change is constantly progressive.
• Karl Marx went even further, claiming that famine was caused by unequal economic distribution
and accumulation by capitalists. It has absolutely nothing to do with the population.
• Economic and social organizations are critical to the population's well-being.
• The issues of overpopulation and resource scarcity, as articulated by Malthus, are fundamental
and unavoidable aspects of the capitalist production system.
• When new technology began to provide farmers with far larger fields, Marx's thesis that food
production could not rise rapidly was also questioned.
• Marx believed that society, particularly feudal and capitalist society, is divided into two broad
economic classes, namely.
o Rich
o Poor
• The wealthy were people who possessed means of production and profited by exploiting the poor.
• The poor, on the other hand, were individuals who sold their energy and willingness to labor to
these affluent people in return for wages.
 Marxian Theory of Population growth

Marxian Theory - Key Points

• Employers make a profit by exploiting the impoverished; this profit is referred to as excess
profit.
• According to Marx, no country's population grows as a result of fertility, but solely as a result of
the capitalist policy.
• Capitalists incorporate labor into their products and profit from it. A capitalist aims to
maximize the surplus value of labor-saving machines by installing them.
• As a result, unemployment expands, wages fall, and poverty rises. Because the impoverished
cannot feed their children because of their poverty, they strive to grow the population via
reproduction so that the next generation can also assist them to produce more money.
• However, as sophisticated technology and excess laborers develop, the surplus population and
unemployment situation worsens. This is the root of all evil.
• He came to the conclusion that the main causes of the surplus population were nothing more
than capitalists' bad policies.
• Marx believed that in a socialist society, reproductive behavior would develop into total harmony
between the individual and the society.
• Marx proposed that the fall of capitalism is the only means for population control and
distributive justice and that governmental control over resources may alleviate the food issue.
• As a result, his theory is a socio-economic model of population control.
Marxian Theory - Criticism

• An increase in population does not always imply a drop in pay. There are several socio-
economic reasons to blame.
• Population expansion is not always caused by a fall in wages; it can be caused by improved
medical services.
• Marx's thesis is only relevant in capitalist societies and not in other ones.
• According to Marx, higher income leads to decreased birth rates, although faith and religion
may also have a role. This was something he didn't think about.
• To a large extent, it is true that in a capitalist society, there is a surplus population due
to unemployment.
• However, it should not be assumed that under a communist society, there will be no need to limit
population increase at any point.
• Even in communist nations, population growth is limited by the argument that no woman should
have more children in order for their mother's health to improve.
• Factory employees in the former Soviet Union were given contraception in order to keep the
birth rate low.
• If the economic disparity is the primary source of the birth rate, then the rates in these nations
should be the same. Because these inequities are no longer present. These countries recognize the
need for family planning.

Conclusion
Marxism, named after Karl Marx, is a social, political, and economic ideology. It investigates the
impact of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic progress, and it advocates for a worker
revolution to demolish capitalism and replace it with communism. The Marxian method is also
known as Historical Determinism. His notion of population expansion is embedded in his overall
theory of communism.