Home / Authors / Thomas Malthus

Thomas Malthus Quotes

Scholar

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.

Filter quotes by topic

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

“To estimate the value of Newton's discoveries, or the delight communicated by Shakespeare and Milton, by the price at which their works have sold, would be but a poor measure of the degree in which they have elevated and enchanted their country; nor would it be less grovelling and incongruous to estimate the benefit which the country has derived from the Revolution of 1688, by the pay of the soldiers, and all other payments concerned in effecting it.”

Country Would Be Values Poor Pay Revolution Degrees Benefits Discovery Concerned Soldier Delight Payment Newton Enchanted Milton

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

“Nature herself in times of great poverty or bad climatic conditions, as well as poor harvest, intervenes to restrict the increase of population of certain countries or races; this, to be sure, by a method as wise as it is ruthless.”

Wells Country Certain Poor Race Poverty Wise Conditions Increase Method Population Harvest Ruthless

Author:Thomas Malthus

“The transfer of three shillings and sixpence a day to every labourer would not increase the quantity of meat in the country. There is not at present enough for all to have a decent share. What would then be the consequence?”

Country Enough Three Share Consequence Increase Meat Decent Quantity Transfers Labourers

Book:An Essay on the Principle of Population: Illustrated

Source: An Essay on the Principle of Population: Illustrated

“If a country can only be rich by running a successful race for low wages, I should be disposed to say at once, perish such riches!”

Ifs Should Country Running Race Successful Rich Lows Riches Wages

Book:An Essay on the Principle of Population, Or, a View of Its Past and Present Effects on Human Happiness: With an Inquiry Into Our Prospects Respecting the Future Removal Or Mitigation of the Evils which it Occasions

Source: An Essay on the Principle of Population, Or, a View of Its Past and Present Effects on Human Happiness: With an Inquiry Into Our Prospects Respecting the Future Removal Or Mitigation of the Evils which it Occasions

“THERE is scarcely any inquiry more curious, or, from its importance, more worthy of attention, than that which traces the causes which practically check the progress of wealth in different countries, and stop it, or make it proceed very slowly, while the power of production remains comparatively undiminished, or at least would furnish the means of a great and abundant increase of produce and population.”

Mean Different Country Causes Wealth Attention Progress Produce Importance Increase Remains Population Productions Worthy Checks Curious Inquiry Different Countries

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

“A great emigration necessarily implies unhappiness of some kind or other in the country that is deserted.”

Kind Country Unhappiness Deserted Emigration

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

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