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Thomas Malthus

Thomas Malthus Quotes

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Thomas Malthus, a British economist and demographer, was born on February 14, 1766, in Surrey, England, and died on December 23, 1834. Malthus is known for his theory of population, which posits that population growth will outstrip food supply, leading to poverty and suffering.

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All Population Increase Men Economy May Humans Earth Poor Class Country Law Mean Subsistence Years Evil Has Beens Ifs Ratios World Causes

Famous Thomas Malthus Quotes

“The histories of mankind are histories only of the higher classes.”

Class Economy Mankind Higher

Author:Thomas Malthus

“The proposition of Mr. Ricardo, which states that a rise in the price of labour lowers the price of a large class of commodities, has undoubtedly a very paradoxical air; but it is, nevertheless, true, and the appearance of paradox would vanish, if it were stated more naturally and correctly.”

Ifs States Class Air Appearance Labour Paradox Nevertheless Commodity Propositions Paradoxical

Book:Principles of Political Economy: Considered with a View to Their Practical Application

Source: Principles of Political Economy: Considered with a View to Their Practical Application

“It is also very important to observe, that menial servants are absolutely necessary to make the resources of the higher and middle classes of society efficient in the demand for material products.”

Important Class Middle Materials Products Higher Demand Resources Servant Middle Class Efficient Classes Of Society

Author:Thomas Malthus

“In prosperous times the mercantile classes often realize fortunes, which go far towards securing them against the future; but unfortunately the working classes, though they share in the general prosperity, do not share in it so largely as in the general adversity.”

Realizing Class Share Adversity Fortune Prosperity Working Class Prosperous

Author:Thomas Malthus

“If one fourth of the capital of a country were suddenly destroyed, or entirely transferred to a different part of the world, without any other cause occurring of a diminished demand for commodities, this scantiness of capital would certainly occasion great inconvenience to consumers, and great distress among the working classes; but it would be attended with great advantages to the remaining capitalists.”

Ifs World Different Country Would Be Causes Class Demand Advantage Destroyed Occasions Consumers Capitalist Fourth Distress Commodity Working Class Inconvenience

Author:Thomas Malthus

“It may at first appear strange, but I believe it is true, that I cannot by means of money raise a poor man and enable him to live much better than he did before, without proportionably depressing others in the same class.”

Men Firsts Believe May Mean I Believe Poor Class Strange Raises Depressing Poor Man

Book:Population: The First Essay

Source: Population: The First Essay

“No state has hitherto existed (at least that we have any account of) ... that no check whatever has existed to early marriages, among the lower classes, from a fear of not providing well for their families, or among the higher classes, from a fear of lowering their condition in life.”

Wells States Class Conditions Higher Accounts Checks Providing Eugenics Euthanasia Lower Class

Book:An Essay on the Principle of Population and Other Writings

Source: An Essay on the Principle of Population and Other Writings