Autor u radu analizira jedan pristup u okviru urbane sociologije, karakterističan za čikašku školu, koji je spajao određene biološke premise u poimanju grada s tipičnim sociološkim pristupom, promatrajući grad kao svojevrstan superorganizam i proizvod prirode, zbog čega se naziva ekološkom teorijom grada. U tom smislu, veza između biologije i sociologije, kao i teorije Roberta Ezre Parka i Ernesta Watsona Burgessa bit će predmet posebne analize koja za cilj ima što više približiti čitatelju ekološki pristup u urbanoj sociologiji. Predmet je posebnog interesa Parkova ideja o gradu kao produktu prirode, sa simbiotskom substrukturom i kulturnom suprastrukturom, kao i Burgessova ideja o rastu grada i teorija koncentričnih zona strukture grada. Također, analizirana su i druga pitanja ekološke teorije grada (dominacija i sukcesija, socijalna delinkvencija, problem marginalnog čovjeka).

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U radu se ispituje društvena teorija Lestera Franka Warda, jednoga od najznačajnijih predstavnika rane američke društvene teorije, s posebnim naglaskom na njegovu koncepciju države, koja se može smatrati hegelijanskom. U prvom dijelu rada dan je kraći osvrt na ranu američku društvenu teoriju: njezine osnovne karakteristike; pitanja koja su bila glavni predmet promatranja u tom razdoblju razvoja sociologije u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama i njezine najznačajnije predstavnike. U daljnjem tekstu, analiziraju se osnovne karakteristike Wardove društvene teorije. Tako se ističe da je ona: pojmovno naslonjena na prirodne znanosti, utemeljena na razlikovanju čiste i primijenjene sociologije, sistematska, progresivna i naklonjena društvenim reformama. Ona je bila suprotstavljena individualističkoj tradiciji i predstavljala je svojevrsni zaokret prema kolektivizmu. Njegova teorija počivala je na vjerovanju da ljudski um može upravljati društvenim napretkom i da poredak koji se temeljio na socijalnim nejednakostima te bio produkt doktrine laissez-faire ne može osigurati slobodu i blagostanje. Osnovna institucija koja je to u stanju učiniti jest država, tako da je središnji dio rada posvećen upravo shvaćanju države Lestera F. Warda, koje je okarakterizirano kao hegelijansko. U tom dijelu iznose se ključna obilježja Wardove koncepcije države i vrši usporedba s teorijom etičke države, koja je dana u okviru Hegelove filozofije objektivnoga duha – filozofije prava i filozofije povijesti. Na kraju, ističe se da je Wardova teorija, iako je po nekim svojim karakteristikama bila atipična za američku društvenu teoriju, ukazala na opći pravac daljnjega razvoja društvenih prilika prema eri kolektivizma.

Going by ideological debates concerning (un)justifiable state intervention, protection of individual liberty, and the question of state's role, this article analyses Malthus's theory on population. It states a thesis that theory on population leads Malthus toward the idea of a minimal state and represents a basis for criticism of an interventionist state and its paternalistic role. The article consists of an introduction, four sections and a conclusion. The introduction cites goals of the work and gives basic notes on Malthus's theory on population and its socio-historical context. Special consideration is paid on reasons that lead to desertion of his ideas with a special focus on changes within liberal ideology, that lead to dissociation from classical liberalism and a merging of liberalism with socialism. The first part examines basic principles of Malthus's theory on population - primarily the idea that the population multiply faster than the food supply, and that population, when unchecked, increases in geometrical ratio, while subsistence increases only in arithmetical ratio. Afterwards, this Malthus's idea is linked to the status of the poor, and is concluded that the state intervention is useless, being that the troubles this part of the population faces are a consequence of their own actions. Therefore, the role of the state should not be care for the poor. In the second part positive and preventive checks to population are examined. Preventive checks are further analyzed because Malthus gives them more importance. The third, central part, is dedicated to Malthus's criticism of the Poor Laws and, within it, his opposition to the state's intervention is further analyzed. According to Malthus, laws that are passed in order to improve the status of the poor have an opposite effect. Even though their aim is to decrease poverty, they increase it. Their tendency is to lead to an increase in population, without the simultaneous increase in food resources that are needed to satisfy the needs of that number of people. The poor, when given an increase in wages, tend to marry more and form families with a larger number of children that they can't support themselves. In that way, they become more dependent on the state, and this leads to an increase in poverty. The fourth part analyzes the misgivings of Malthus's theory, especially its negligence of technological advancement. And it is because of this omission that Malthus couldn't come to a different theory concerning population growth, rather than the one that he had formed. Finally, after all the important elements of Malthus's theory on population are analyzed, the importance of his thought and a theory of minimal state are examined. Stated and defended is the stance that the theory of minimal state is not value-neutral, and that the only minimal state that can exist is a liberal minimal state, and therefore Thomas Robert Malthus belongs to that tradition within the liberal thought.