A Landmark Work in Economics, Politics, and Human Society
In An Essay on the Principle of Population, economist and philosopher Thomas Robert Malthus introduces one of the most provocative and enduring ideas in the study of human society: that population growth tends to outpace the growth of resources, leading to inevitable constraints and crises. First published in 1798, this seminal text laid the foundation for modern demography, influenced Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection, and sparked centuries of debate about social policy, welfare, and sustainability.
Malthus argues that unchecked population growth will surpass food supply, resulting in natural checks such as famine, disease, and war unless restrained by preventive measures. His insights continue to inform discussions on overpopulation, environmental sustainability, and economic planning.
This essential work includes:
The original 1798 essay (and optionally later editions)
Malthus’s analysis of population dynamics and natural limits
Reflections on poverty, moral restraint, and societal structure
A foundational perspective in classical political economy
Whether you are a student of economics, a policy thinker, or a curious reader of great ideas, An Essay on the Principle of Population remains a powerful and relevant exploration of the challenges facing growing societies.
A must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of population, policy, and human progress.
Thomas Robert Malthus (1766–1834) was a British scholar, influential in political economy and demography. Malthus popularized the economic theory of rent. Malthus has become widely known for his theories concerning population and its increase or decrease in response to various factors. The six editions of his An Essay on the Principle of Population, published from 1798 to 1826, observed that sooner or later population gets checked by famine and disease. He wrote in opposition to the popular view in 18th-century Europe that saw society as improving and in principle as perfectible. William Godwin and the Marquis de Condorcet, for example, believed in the possibility of almost limitless improvement of society. So, in a more complex way, did Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose notions centered on the goodness of man and the liberty of citizens bound only by the socia1 contract - a form of popular sovereignty. Malthus thought that the dangers of population growth would preclude endless progress towards a utopian society: "The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man".] As an Anglican clergyman, Malthus saw this situation as divinely imposed to teach virtuous behavior. Malthus placed the longer-term stability of the economy above short-term expediency. He criticized the Poor Laws and (alone among important contemporary economists) supported the Corn Laws, which introduced a system of taxes on British imports of wheat. He thought these measures would encourage domestic production, and so promote long-term benefits. Malthus became hugely influential, and controversial, in economic, political, social and scientific thought. Many of those whom subsequent centuries term evolutionary biologists read him, notably Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, for each of whom Malthusianism became an intellectual stepping-stone to the idea of natural selection. Malthus remains a writer of great significance and controversy.
