Thomas Malthus
Thomas Malthus
The Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus FRS was an English cleric and scholar, influential in the fields of political economy and demography. Malthus himself used only his middle name Robert...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionEconomist
Date of Birth14 February 1766
Thomas Malthus quotes about
philosophy theory experiments
It is an acknowledged truth in philosophy that a just theory will always be confirmed by experiment.
equality simple virtue
In a state therefore of great equality and virtue, where pure and simple manners prevailed, the increase of the human species would evidently be much greater than any increase that has been hitherto known.
rich unfair poor
The rich, by unfair combinations, contribute frequently to prolong a season of distress among the poor.
country emigration kind
A great emigration necessarily implies unhappiness of some kind or other in the country that is deserted.
integrity may faces
The most baleful mischiefs may be expected from the unmanly conduct of not daring to face truth because it is unpleasing.
forever may limits
No limits whatever are placed to the productions of the earth; they may increase forever.
taken men discovery
The great and unlooked for discoveries that have taken place of late years have all concurred to lead many men into the opinion that we were touching on a period big with the most important changes.
agriculture corporations causes
Every endeavor should be used to weaken and destroy all those institutions relating to corporations, apprenticeships, &c, which cause the labours of agriculture to be worse paid than the labours of trade and manufactures.
philosophy fall agency
It accords with the most liberal spirit of philosophy to suppose that not a stone can fall, or a plant rise, without the immediate agency of divine power.
encouragement population multiplication
The most effectual encouragement to population is, the activity of industry, and the consequent multiplication of the national products.
expectations oracles trends
Population trends have always provoked doom-fraught oracles, because their popular interpreters suppose that every new series will be infinitely sustained; yet, beyond the short term, expectations based on them are never fulfilled.
adversity class realizing
In prosperous times the mercantile classes often realize fortunes, which go far towards securing them against the future; but unfortunately the working classes, though they share in the general prosperity, do not share in it so largely as in the general adversity.
class important demand
It is also very important to observe, that menial servants are absolutely necessary to make the resources of the higher and middle classes of society efficient in the demand for material products.
looks adam consumption
where are we to look for the consumption required but among the unproductive labourers of Adam Smith?...