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1、AnEssayonthePrincipleofPopulationbyThomasMalthus1798ANESSAYONTHEPRINCIPLEOFPOPULATION,ASITAFFECTSTHEFUTUREIMPROVEMENTOFSOCIETYWITHREMARKSONTHESPECULATIONSOFMR.GODWIN,M.CONDORCET,ANDOTHERWRITERS.LONDON,PRINTEDFORJ.JOHNSON,INST.PAUL'SCHURCH-YARD,1798.PrefaceTHEfollowingEssayowesitso
2、rigintoaconversationwithafriend,onthesubjectofMrGodwin'sessayon'AvariceandProfusion'inhisEnquirer.Thediscussionstartedthegeneralquestionofthefutureimprovementofsociety.andtheAuthoratfirstsatdownwithanintentionofmerelystatinghisthoughtstohisfriend,uponpaper,inaclearermannerthanheth
3、oughthecoulddoinconversation.Butasthesubjectopeneduponhim,someideasoccurred,whichhedidnotrecollecttohavemetwithbefore;andasheconceivedthateveryleastlight,onatopicsogenerallyinteresting,mightbereceivedwithcandour,hedeterminedtoputhisthoughtsinaformforpublication.TheEssaymight,undou
4、btedly,havebeenrenderedmuchmorecompletebyacollectionofagreaternumberoffactsinelucidationofthegeneralargument.Butalongandalmosttotalinterruptionfromveryparticularbusiness,joinedtoadesire(perhapsimprudent)ofnotdelayingthepublicationmuchbeyondthetimethatheoriginallyproposed,prevented
5、theAuthorfromgivingtothesubjectanundividedattention.Hepresumes,however,thatthefactswhichhehasadducedwillbefoundtoformnoinconsiderableevidenceforthetruthofhisopinionrespectingthefutureimprovementofmankind.AstheAuthorcontemplatesthisopinionatpresent,littlemoreappearstohimtobenecessa
6、rythanaplainstatement,inadditiontothemostcursoryviewofsociety,toestablishit.Itisanobvioustruth,whichhasbeentakennoticeofbymanywriters,thatpopulationmustalwaysbekeptdowntothelevelofthemeansofsubsistence;butnowriterthattheAuthorrecollectshasinquiredparticularlyintothemeansbywhichthi
7、sleveliseffected:anditisaviewofthesemeanswhichforms,tohismind,thestrongestobstacleinthewaytoanyverygreatfutureimprovementofsociety.Hehopesitwillappearthat,inthediscussionofthisinterestingsubject,heisactuatedsolelybyaloveoftruth,andnotbyanyprejudicesagainstanyparticularsetofmen,oro
8、fopinions.Heprofessestohavereadso
