Comments on “Population Pressure, Savings, Investment and Growth in the Islamic
World: Some Empirical Evidence” by Dr. Hossein Pirasteh and Dr. Farzad Karimi.
Proceedings of the 5 th International Conference on Islamic Economics & Finance,
held on 21-23 April,2003 in Bahrain
Abstract
Let me begin by congratulating the authors for providing an
excellent literature review on a very important topic, namely the relation between population
growth and economic growth. In particular, the authors show how the theoretical arguments
showing that population growth is harmful are inconclusive,and the empirical evidence is weak or
contradicts the basic premises on which the whole debate is founded. I have provided detailed
paragraph-by- paragraph comments to the authors on the material of the article. Here I would like
to address more generally the context within which this article arises. Before starting on specifics,
I would like to mention a general principle. I have found it useful to view research as a
conversation. In this conversation, we need to know what the topics of interest are, and also the
people whom they interest. It is also crucial to know why they are of interest. In some sense, this
is close to the methods of the Muhaddatheen, who analyzed the integrity of the transmitters of
knowledge first, and the contents later. In the Western tradition, only the contents or the text is
open to analysis and the transmitters are not generally examined. However, I have found that a
great deal of additional insight can be obtained on the topic under discussion by looking at the
person who is responsible for formulating a given theory. With this in mind, let me begin with
Malthus, who is clearly the first and the founder of the idea that population growth may have
harmful effects.
References
?