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Quote by Thomas Malthus

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An Essay on the Principle of Population: Illustrated

Written by Thomas Robert Malthus, this influential essay explores the concept of population growth and its implications on society, economy, and natural resources. It discusses the idea of a finite carrying capacity of the Earth and the potential for overpopulation to lead to scarcity and hardship. more

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Thomas Malthus
Thomas Malthus

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. more

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“The first business of philosophy is to account for things as they are; and till our theories will do this, they ought not to be the ground of any practical conclusion.”

FirstsPhilosophyTheoryOughtAccountsPracticalsConclusion
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
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“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!”

IfsShouldCountryRunningRaceSuccessfulRichLowsRichesWages
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
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“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.”

MeanDifferentCountryCausesWealthAttentionProgressProduceImportanceIncreaseRemainsPopulationProductionsWorthyChecksCuriousInquiryDifferent Countries
Author:Thomas Malthus
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“On the whole it may be observed, that the specific use of a body of unproductive consumers, is to give encouragement to wealth by maintaining such a balance between produce and consumption as will give the greatest exchangeable value to the results of the national industry.”

GivingMayWholeUseBodyValuesWealthResultsProduceIndustryBalanceEncouragementConsumersConsumptionMaintainingUnproductive
Book:The Works of Thomas Robert Malthus: Principles of political economy. Part 2
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“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.”

IfsWorldDifferentCountryWould BeCausesClassDemandAdvantageDestroyedOccasionsConsumersCapitalistFourthDistressCommodityWorking ClassInconvenience
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