That theory, of course, was none other than natural selection, the driving force of evolution. Malthus’ work made Darwin realize the importance of overpopulation and how it was necessary to have variability in different populations. Specifically he felt that … Malthus’s work reined in economic optimism, helped to justify a theory of wages based on workers’ minimum cost of subsistence, and discouraged traditional forms of charity. Thomas Malthus’s ideas influenced public policy (such as reforms of the English Poor Laws) and the work of economists, demographers, and evolutionary biologists, notably Charles Darwin. Alfred Russel Wallace OM (* 8. Darwin had a parallel thinking in the concept of individual struggle in natural selection. how did thomas malthus influence darwin Darwin was fascinated by the idea that the human population was growing faster than food production could sustain. Malthusian Charles Darwin Aldous Huxley used the theory as … Today satellite measurements reveal that mountains may rise an inch a year, while radioactive clocks help show how they’ve been rising that way for millions of years. how did thomas malthus influence darwin. how did thomas malthus influence darwin on the Principle of Population Finally, the actual term ‘Social Darwinism’ was originally coined by Thomas Malthus, who is better remembered for his iron rule of nature and the concept of ‘struggle for existence’. 1 Se Lyell's influence on Darwin was from his book "Principles". C. Who most influenced Darwins idea that life could change slowly over time?Darwin was influenced by other early thinkers, including Lamarck, Lyell, and Malthus. Thomas Malthus and Charles Lyell were two figures who influenced Darwin's theories. Thomas Malthus Though Darwin was influenced by many different writers and philosophers of the time, one of his main influences was Thomas Malthus.