Notes #5: Reformers of the Industrial Revolution

Thomas Malthus 1. Malthus believed the population was growing faster than the food supply. 2. Malthus believed the poor would continue to suffer unless they had fewer children which he encouraged them to do. 3. Malthus did not believe in government hand-outs and vaccinations since war, disease and famine helped keep growing populations in check.

David Ricardo 1. Ricardo did not see hope for the working class in being able to escape poverty. 2. Increasing wages, Ricardo believed only led families to increase their family and not their standard of living. 3. Ricardo was against government help for the poor but rather saw thrift, hard work and smaller families sizes as an effective way of improving one’s life.

Jeremy Bentham Bentham believed the goal of society should be, “the greatest happiness for the greatest number” of people. Bentham believed in individual freedom for business owners to make economic decisions but felt the government may need to get involved if necessary. For instance, he felt that factory owners should not benefit financially by taking advantage or causing harm to their employees. (owners had the right to get rich, but not if his workers are poor).

Robert Owens Owens wanted to create a utopian society because he believed the condition in which people lived shaped their character. Owens believed employers could provide decent wages and working conditions that would allow for a profitable business. If all property was owned in common, there would be no rich or poor and therefore no fighting or crime.

Karl Marx Marx believed that the working class would rise up against the middle class.. (“haves” v. “have-nots”) The working class would then create a class-less society in which all property would be equally shared. Marx favored this idea of communism over capitalism; which created prosperity for a few and poverty for many. No rich, no poor It would be fair if workers shared the ownership and profits of business, rather than only one owner.