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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

“[P]opulation, when unchecked, goes on doubling itself every twenty-five years, or increases in a geometrical ratio. ... [T]he means of subsistence, under circumstances the most favorable to human industry, could not possibly be made to increase faster than in an arithmetical ratio.”

Years Humans Mean Made Science Five Food Goes On Industry Circumstances Increase Twenties Faster Five Years Twenty Five Ratios Subsistence

Author:Thomas Malthus

“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

“The employment of the poor in roads and public works, and a tendency among landlords and persons of property to build, to improve and beautify their grounds, and to employ workmen and menial servants, are the means most within our power and most directly calculated to remedy the evils arising from that disturbance in the balance of produce and consumption.”

Mean Persons Evil Poor Produce Balance Property Tendencies Employment Servant Remedy Consumption Disturbance Workmen Landlord

Author:Thomas Malthus

“The perpetual tendency of the race of man to increase beyond the means of subsistence is one of the general laws of animated nature, which we can have no reason to expect to change.”

Men Mean Reason Law Race Increase Tendencies No Reason Perpetual Animated Subsistence

Book:An Essay on the Principle of Population, as it Affects the Future Imporvement of Society, with Remarks on the Speculations of Mr. Godwin, M. Condorcet, and Other Writers

Source: An Essay on the Principle of Population, as it Affects the Future Imporvement of Society, with Remarks on the Speculations of Mr. Godwin, M. Condorcet, and Other Writers

“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

“The constant effort towards population, which is found even in the most vicious societies, increases the number of people before the means of subsistence are increased.”

People Mean Found Numbers Effort Economy Increase Constant Population Vicious Subsistence

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

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

“The main peculiarity which distinguishes man from other animals is the means of his support - the power which he possesses of very greatly increasing these means.”

Men Mean Animal Support Economy

Author:Thomas Malthus