The Next 200 Years: A Scenario For America And ... -

He suggests that rather than an inevitable collapse, the world is moving toward a post-industrial society where economic growth eventually plateaus at a high level of comfort and leisure. Refuting Neo-Malthusianism

The book was a direct rebuttal to "neo-Malthusian" warnings that population growth and resource depletion would lead to catastrophe. Kahn challenges these views across several key sectors:

Kahn suggests that massive projects, like efficiently farming the Ganges basin or greenhouse farming in the Sahara, could produce enough food for 15 billion people. The Four Perspectives on the Future The next 200 years: a scenario for America and ...

Humans were few, poor, and at the mercy of natural forces.

He argues that "exhaustible" resources are actually plentiful. For instance, he points out that aluminum makes up 8% of the earth's crust, making claims of its total exhaustion mathematically improbable. He suggests that rather than an inevitable collapse,

Believes disaster is inevitable without immediate zero-growth policies.

While he believes technology can manage pollution, he notes that the "crisis of confidence" in modern institutions is often more dangerous than the physical problems themselves. The Four Perspectives on the Future Humans were

The shift to a post-industrial society might erode traditional "societal levers" and change how people find meaning in life once basic needs are met.