Answer to Malthus? Julian Simon Interviewed by William Buckley

Abstract

Not since the days of Paul Ehrlich's The Population Bomb has a work on population elicited as much popular interest as The Ultimate Resource, a book by Julian Simon published last year by Princeton University Press. A Review Symposium on this book appears elsewhere in this issue of the Review. Reprinted here in its entirety is a transcript of a television interview of Professor Simon by William F. Buckley, Jr. The unrehearsed nature of the interview is clear from the text. Although hardly a substitute for reading the book, the interview manages to touch upon most of the important themes raised in The Ultimate Resource. Entitled Is there an answer to Malthus?, the interview was taped on 18 October 1981 and originally telecast by the Public Broadcasting System on 8 November 1981, on the FIRING LINE program, copyright ? 1981 by the Southern Educational Communications Association. The transcript is reproduced here for a fee by permission. Printed bound transcripts are available from SECA.