Malthus et le sous-développement ou le problème de la cohérence d'une théorie

[eng] Malthus and the problem of underdevelopment : one or two theories ?. Jean-Philippe Platteau. The present paper purports to deal with Malthus's ideas about underdeveloped countries. It will examine these ideas as they have been developed by Malthus in the context of his two most famous works : the Essay on the Principle of Population and the Principles of Political Economy. It will then try to show that the views presented in these two works, even thongh they focus on different aspects of the problem at stake, are mutually consistent with each other on a purely logical ground. Finally, the relevance of these views will be assessed in the light of modern achievements of developrnent economies. [fre] ment possède une cohérence d'ensemble. Il nous restera alors à proposer quelques réflexions sur l'actualité des idées de Malthus en matière de sous-développement.