The Spaceship Problem
The Spaceship Problem
An Optimal Population Size?
If the limits imposed by natural capital seem to be closing in on the human species, is it not primarily a problem of numbers? In a 1966 article, the essayist Kenneth Boulding introduced this issue using the image of “spaceship Earth” loaded with passengers. This novel concept gave rise to abundant literature by economists seeking to define the “optimal” size of the population. What lessons can be drawn from the literature discussing the question of what constitutes the desirable number of occupants aboard this shared spaceship?
Keywords: Spaceship problem, Boulding, optimal population, Bentham, Rawls
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