A collection of eight volumes of books which contain all the known published writings and variant readings of Thomas Malthus. Malthus is most famous as the inventor of a simple equation between population and food supply and his work is seen as the foundation for population studies.
The first major study of population size and its tremendous importance to the character and quality of society, this classic examines the tendency of human numbers to outstrip their resources.
A collection of eight volumes of books which contain all the known published writings and variant readings of Thomas Malthus. Malthus is most famous as the inventor of a simple equation between population and food supply and his work is seen as the foundation for population studies.
Malthus' life's work on human population and its dependency on food production and the environment was highly controversial on publication in 1798. He predicted what is known as the Malthusian catastrophe, in which humans would disregard the limits of natural resources and the world would be plagued by famine and disease. He significantly influenced the thinking of Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace and his theories continue to raise important questions today in the fields of social theory, economics and the environment. With an introduction by Robert Mayhew.
Around 1796, Mr. Malthus, an English gentleman, had finished reading a book that confidently predicted human life would continue to grow richer, more comfortable and more secure, and that nothing could stop the march of progress. He discussed this theme with his son, Thomas, and Thomas ardently disagreed with both his father and the book he had been reading, along with the entire idea of unending human progress. Mr. Malthus suggested that he write down his objections so that they could discuss them point-by-point. Not long after, Thomas returned with a rather long essay. His father was so impressed that he urged his son to have it published. And so, in 1798, appeared An Essay on Population, by British political economist and demographer THOMAS ROBERT MALTHUS (1766-1834). Though it was attacked at the time and ridiculed for many years afterward, it has remained one of the most influential works in the English language on the general checks and balances of the world's population and its necessary control. This is a replica of the 1826 sixth edition. Volume 2 includes: Book III: "Of the Different Systems, Which Have Been Proposed or Have Prevailed in Society, As They Affect the Evils Arising from The Principle of Population" and Book IV: "Of our future Prospects respecting the Removal or Mitigation of the Evils arising from the Principle of Population."
In 1798 initiates a controversy by arguing how a large population may surpass its resources, and how improved economics can lower mortality rates, and also examines how reproduction can dwarf its food production.