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Malthus' life's work on human population and its dependency on food
production and the environment was highly controversial on
publication in 1798. He predicted what is known as the Malthusian
catastrophe, in which humans would disregard the limits of natural
resources and the world would be plagued by famine and disease. He
significantly influenced the thinking of Darwin and Alfred Russel
Wallace and his theories continue to raise important questions
today in the fields of social theory, economics and the
environment. With an introduction by Robert Mayhew.
As the world's population continues to grow at a frighteningly
rapid rate, Malthus's classic warning against overpopulation gains
increasing importance. An Essay on the Principle of Population
(1798) examines the tendency of human numbers to outstrip their
resources, and argues that checks in the form of poverty, disease,
and starvation are necessary to keep societies from moving beyond
their means of subsistence. Malthus's simple but powerful argument
was controversial in his time; today his name has become a byword
for active concern about humankind's demographic and ecological
prospects.
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As the world's population continues to grow at a frighteningly
rapid rate, Malthus's classic warning against overpopulation gains
increasing importance. An Essay on the Principle of Population
(1798) examines the tendency of human numbers to outstrip their
resources, and argues that checks in the form of poverty, disease,
and starvation are necessary to keep societies from moving beyond
their means of subsistence. Malthus's simple but powerful argument
was controversial in his time; today his name has become a byword
for active concern about humankind's demographic and ecological
prospects.
This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the
classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer
them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so
that everyone can enjoy them.
An Essay on the Principle of Population Thomas Malthus Brand New
Edition The book An Essay on the Principle of Population was first
published in 1798 under the alias Joseph Johnson., but the author
was soon identified as Thomas Robert Malthus. While it was not the
first book on population, it has been acknowledged as the most
influential work of its era. Its 6th edition was independently
cited as a key influence by both Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel
Wallace in developing the theory of natural selection. A key
portion of the book was dedicated to what is now known as Malthus'
Iron Law of Population. This name itself is retrospective, based on
the iron law of wages, which is the reformulation of Malthus'
position by Ferdinand Lassalle, who in turn derived the name from
Goethe's great, eternal iron laws in Das Gottliche. This theory
suggested that growing population rates would contribute to a
rising supply of labour that would inevitably lower wages. In
essence, Malthus feared that continued population growth would lend
itself to poverty. One immediate impact of Malthus's book was that
it fueled the debate about the size of the population in Britain
and led to (or at least greatly accelerated) the passing of the
Census Act 1800. This Act enabled the holding of a national census
in England, Wales and Scotland, starting in 1801 and continuing
every ten years to the present. In 1803, Malthus published a major
revision to his first edition, as the same title second edition;
his final version, the 6th edition, was published in 1826. However,
in 1830, 32 years after the first edition, Malthus published a
condensed version titled A Summary View on the Principle of
Population, which included remarks about criticisms of the main
book.
The principal objects which human punishments have in view are
undoubtedly restraint and example; restraint, or removal, of an
individual member whose vicious habits are likely to be prejudicial
to the society'; and example, which by expressing the sense of the
community with regard to a particular crime, and by associating
more nearly and visibly crime and punishment, holds out a moral
motive to dissuade others from the commission of it.
A revision of the corn laws, it is understood, is immediately to
come under the consideration of the legislature. That the decision
on such a subject, should be founded on a correct and enlightened
view of the whole question, will be allowed to be of the utmost
importance, both with regard to the stability of the measures to be
adopted, and the effects to be expected from them.
If, for instance, the soil of the earth had been such, that,
however well directed might have been the industry of man, he could
not have produced from it more than was barely sufficient to
maintain those, whose labour and attention were necessary to its
products; though, in this case, food and raw materials would have
been evidently scarcer than at present, and the land might have
been, in the same manner, monopolized by particular owners; vet it
is quite clear, that neither rent, nor any essential surplus
produce of the land in the form of high profits, could have
existed.
If, for instance, the soil of the earth had been such, that,
however well directed might have been the industry of man, he could
not have produced from it more than was barely sufficient to
maintain those, whose labour and attention were necessary to its
products; though, in this case, food and raw materials would have
been evidently scarcer than at present, and the land might have
been, in the same manner, monopolized by particular owners; vet it
is quite clear, that neither rent, nor any essential surplus
produce of the land in the form of high profits, could have
existed.
The principal objects which human punishments have in view are
undoubtedly restraint and example; restraint, or removal, of an
individual member whose vicious habits are likely to be prejudicial
to the society'; and example, which by expressing the sense of the
community with regard to a particular crime, and by associating
more nearly and visibly crime and punishment, holds out a moral
motive to dissuade others from the commission of it.
The principal objects which human punishments have in view are
undoubtedly restraint and example; restraint, or removal, of an
individual member whose vicious habits are likely to be prejudicial
to the society'; and example, which by expressing the sense of the
community with regard to a particular crime, and by associating
more nearly and visibly crime and punishment, holds out a moral
motive to dissuade others from the commission of it.
If, for instance, the soil of the earth had been such, that,
however well directed might have been the industry of man, he could
not have produced from it more than was barely sufficient to
maintain those, whose labour and attention were necessary to its
products; though, in this case, food and raw materials would have
been evidently scarcer than at present, and the land might have
been, in the same manner, monopolized by particular owners; vet it
is quite clear, that neither rent, nor any essential surplus
produce of the land in the form of high profits, could have
existed.
From the vicinity of France, and the cheapness of its corn in all
years of common abundance, it is scarcely possible that our main
imports should not come from that quarter as long as our ports are
open to receive them. In this first year of open trade, our imports
have been such, as to shew, that though the corn of the Baltic
cannot seriously depress our prices in an unfavourable season at
home, the corn of France may make it fall below a growing price,
under the pressure of one of the worst crops that has been known
for a long series of years.
From the vicinity of France, and the cheapness of its corn in all
years of common abundance, it is scarcely possible that our main
imports should not come from that quarter as long as our ports are
open to receive them. In this first year of open trade, our imports
have been such, as to shew, that though the corn of the Baltic
cannot seriously depress our prices in an unfavourable season at
home, the corn of France may make it fall below a growing price,
under the pressure of one of the worst crops that has been known
for a long series of years.
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the
original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as
marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe
this work is culturally important, we have made it available as
part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting
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that are true to the original work.
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