Huber's "Reverend Malthus, Meet Dr. Faustus"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Huber essay that presents two extreme theories of population: the Malthusian Theory, a pessimistic viewpoint formulated by Thomas Malthus, and the Faustian Theory, the opposite extreme advocated by Dr. Faustus. The paper summarizes Malthus as saying that the world will out populate itself and Faustians as saying that through technology humankind will balance the supply to meet the population. The author states that Huber's essay is critical of the two extreme theories but does not provide his own theory.

From the Paper:

"While Malthusians subsist to the pessimist view of mankind's fate, Faustians are those who subsist to the belief that contrary to the pessimistic Malthusians, who claimed that humankind will end in a catastrophe through famine or war (Thomas Malthus), or by natural disasters (neo-Malthusians). To the Faustians, the world and humankind will continue to flourish and develop. They predicted that instead of experiencing a downfall, humankind would develop even greater "waves of technology," wherein these waves of technology are said to have been "propelling huge increases in productivity and "explosive" growth." Ultimately, Faustians declare that a fifth wave of technology is yet to come, which is through hydrogen "as an alternative source of energy that will save the environment." "

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