Life-Scientific Approach to Population Problems

Abstract

Population problems have long been centered on relations between the increase of population and productive ability of the economy since "An Essay on the Principle of Population" was published by T.R. Malthus. However, nowadays it is necessary to study taking into consideration on the following two big problems; at first resources and environment, and secondly the change of population structure based on the prolonged average life span of human beings. For the first problem, it will be forced to change the former economic growth line and it will be required not only one country's plan, but also international cooperation in relation to preservation of natural environment and control of rapid increase of population. For the second problem, aging phenomena give the pressure to increase financial demands one hand, and decreasing tendency of number of children will bring labor shortage and reduce effective demands of economy in the future. Therefore, it should be requested to reform the existing industrial structure and socio-economic system which has been established under the precondition of continuing economic growth. From these points, population problems should be switched from the relation between population and economy to co-existence between human beings and nature. Speaking from microscopic aspects, reproduction of population should be considered in relation to a nuclear cycle of human life. The conversion of increasing population to decrease in the first decade of 21st century must be considered as one normal phase of population wave in the long-term historical viewpoints. Then we must design a concrete plan transferring to the new socio-economic system adapting well to the coming zero-economic growth society. We would propose the necessity of Sciences of Seizon, or Life Sciences, to create new order of sustainable existence of human beings.