简介：Twoopposingintellectualtraditionsandtheircontem-porarydevelopmentsregardingtherelationsamongpopulation,availableresources,andqualityoflifeasreflectedineconomicgrowtharereviewed.Whatisatissueiswhetherpopulationgrowthisdetrimentaltoorbeneficialforeconomicdevelopment.Neitheroftheextremeviewsgivesacompletepictureoftheinterplayamongpopulation,resources,andqualityoflife.Followingpreviousliteratureonthetopic,thispaperestablishesamorebalancedapproachthatconsidersthefunctionlinkingpopulationandqualityoflifenotconstantbutvariableandregardsthelimitednessofresourcesasnotabsolutebutrelativetoregionsandsocieties.Theproposedapproachismoreflexibleinbetterexplainingtherelationbetweenpopulationandeconomicgrowth.Chinaisexaminedasacaseinpointtoshedlightontheinteractionofpopulationgrowth,economicdevelopment,andavailableresources,anditsrecentpost-economicreformexperiencesshowcasetheappropriatenessofthesyntheticapproach.