Classical Theories Of Population

Many of the ancient philosophers like Confucius ( China ), Kautilya ( India), Ibn Khaldin (Arab), Plato (Greece) and modem thinkers like Adam Smith, David Richard and others, either directly or indirectly, have said somethings significant on population issues.

The ancient Chinese writers observed that mortality 

increases when food supply is insufficient, that premature marriage makes for high infant mortality rates, that war checks population growth and that costly marriage ceremonies reduce the marriage rates. In China, the doctrines of Confucius regarding family, marriage and procreation were favorable for population increase. 

The writers of early Greece, especially Plato and Aristotle, referred to the ' optimum '  population for city - states. They looked at population mainly  in terms of defence, security and government. Plato suggests a population of 5,000 citizens for a city - state as the ideal number. He suggested remedial measure for both under - population and over population. The Romans thought of population in terms of the expansion of their empire. They thought of several devices to promote increase in population. 

Kautilya , the author of Arthashastra, a classic of economics, thought of a large population as a source of political , economic and military power. He thought  of a population of 100 to 500 for a village.

Traditional Hindu philosophy considered marriage a sacrament ( sanskar) . Marriage of a girl before attaining puberty was considered a pious act ( pabitrakarya); hence child marriages have/ had been quite common. A girl was given in marriage in the form of kanyadan.  Procreation was considered a duty, and the  birth of a son was considered  a necessity for giving pitradan to the dead souls. A girl was denied the right of giving pitradan, hence, a male child was considered a necessity. Large families were considered an assets for economic pursuits. Later on, joint families were immensely valued in  Hindu society. 

Islam inadvertently encouraged population increase by allowing four wives. Child marriage become a part  of the Islamic ethos. Even today , Islam doesnot openly promote measure to check population increase.

Only Christianity emphasized celibacy and thought of marriage and reproduction as evils. However, later on, Christianity considered marriage necessary for procreation. Thus,  these views were more philosophical, moral and religious rather than the theories of Population.