A Modest Proposal / For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick

Name: A Modest Proposal / For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick
Author: Jonathan Swift

By Jonathan Swift

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About This Book

A satirical pamphlet adopts a calm, pseudo‑economic tone to describe extreme poverty and overcrowding, tallying births and expenses and then proposing the shocking expedient of selling and consuming infants as a commercial solution. It details imagined culinary uses, market mechanisms, and supposed benefits to landlords and the public, using irony, mock statistics, and grotesque specificity to expose the dehumanizing logic of profit‑driven policies and to criticize social neglect, entrenched inequality, and the moral blindness of those who treat people as economic commodities.

About the Author

Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was an Irish satirist, essayist, and political pamphleteer, best known for his sharp wit and keen observations of human nature. His most famous work, "Gulliver's Travels," is a satirical exploration of society and politics through the fantastical voyages of Lemuel Gulliver. Swift's writing often critiques the social injustices of his time, as seen in his provocative essay "A Modest Proposal," which suggests an outrageous solution to poverty in Ireland. A prominent figure in the early 18th century, Swift's contributions to literature and political discourse have left a lasting impact, making him a key figure in the canon of English literature.