WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
An Essay on the Principle of Population cover

An Essay on the Principle of Population

By T. R. Malthus
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

EconomicsPhilosophy & EthicsSociology

About This Book

The author argues that population tends to increase faster than subsistence, producing pressures that limit long-term social improvement; he distinguishes preventive checks (moral restraint, delayed marriage) from positive checks (famine, disease, war) and examines how these mechanisms keep population near resource limits. He critiques optimistic theories that assume unbounded perfectibility of society, analyzes economic and psychological factors affecting reproduction and poverty, and sketches implications for public policy, charity, and social reform while acknowledging limits of available evidence and calling for careful empirical inquiry.

About the Author

Malthus, T. R. portrait

T. R. Malthus

Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834) was an English cleric and scholar, best known for his influential theories on population growth and its implications for society. His seminal work, "An Essay on the Principle of Population," published in 1798, argued that population growth would inevitably outpace food production, leading to widespread famine and societal challenges. Malthus's ideas sparked significant debate and laid the groundwork for modern demography and economics. He also contributed to political economy with works such as "An Inquiry into the Nature and Progress of Rent" and "Definitions in Political Economy." His insights continue to resonate in discussions about sustainability and resource management.

More Books by This Author

5 picks
An Inquiry into the Nature and Progress of Rent, and the Principles by Which It is Regulated cover An Inquiry into the Nature and Progress of Rent, and the Principles by Which It is Regulated by T. R. Malthus Definitions in Political Economy, / Preceded by an Inquiry Into the Rules which Ought to Guide Political Economists in the Definition and Use of Their Terms; with Remarks on the Deviation from These Rules in Their Writings cover Definitions in Political Economy, / Preceded by an Inquiry Into the Rules which Ought to Guide Political Economists in the Definition and Use of Their Terms; with Remarks on the Deviation from These Rules in Their Writings by T. R. Malthus Observations on the Effects of the Corn Laws, and of a Rise or Fall in the Price of Corn on the Agriculture and General Wealth of the Country cover Observations on the Effects of the Corn Laws, and of a Rise or Fall in the Price of Corn on the Agriculture and General Wealth of the Country by T. R. Malthus The Grounds of an Opinion on the Policy of Restricting the Importation of Foreign Corn / Intended as an appendix to "Observations on the corn laws" cover The Grounds of an Opinion on the Policy of Restricting the Importation of Foreign Corn / Intended as an appendix to "Observations on the corn laws" by T. R. Malthus The Measure of Value Stated and Illustrated / With an Application of it to the Alterations in the Value of the English Currency since 1790 cover The Measure of Value Stated and Illustrated / With an Application of it to the Alterations in the Value of the English Currency since 1790 by T. R. Malthus

You May Also Like

6 picks
Anarchism and Other Essays cover Anarchism and Other Essays by Emma Goldman Le culte du moi 1: Sous l'oeil des barbares cover Le culte du moi 1: Sous l'oeil des barbares by Maurice Barrès A Guerra: Depoimentos de Herejes cover A Guerra: Depoimentos de Herejes by Jaime de Magalhães Lima Art cover Art by Clive Bell The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It cover The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It by Hinton Rowan Helper The long road of woman's memory cover The long road of woman's memory by Jane Addams