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《An Essay on the Principle ofPopulation《馬爾薩斯人口論》》由會(huì)員上傳分享，免費(fèi)在線閱讀，更多相關(guān)內(nèi)容在學(xué)術(shù)論文-天天文庫。
1、AnEssayonthePrincipleofPopulationbyThomasMalthus1798ANESSAYONTHEPRINCIPLEOFPOPULATION,ASITAFFECTSTHEFUTUREIMPROVEMENTOFSOCIETYWITHREMARKSONTHESPECULATIONSOFMR.GODWIN,M.CONDORCET,ANDOTHERWRITERS.LONDON,PRINTEDFORJ.JOHNSON,INST.PAUL'SCHURCH-YARD,1798.Pre
2、faceTHEfollowingEssayowesitsorigintoaconversationwithafriend,onthesubjectofMrGodwin'sessayon'AvariceandProfusion'inhisEnquirer.Thediscussionstartedthegeneralquestionofthefutureimprovementofsociety.andtheAuthoratfirstsatdownwithanintentionofmerelystatin
3、ghisthoughtstohisfriend,uponpaper,inaclearermannerthanhethoughthecoulddoinconversation.Butasthesubjectopeneduponhim,someideasoccurred,whichhedidnotrecollecttohavemetwithbefore;andasheconceivedthateveryleastlight,onatopicsogenerallyinteresting,mightbere
4、ceivedwithcandour,hedeterminedtoputhisthoughtsinaformforpublication.TheEssaymight,undoubtedly,havebeenrenderedmuchmorecompletebyacollectionofagreaternumberoffactsinelucidationofthegeneralargument.Butalongandalmosttotalinterruptionfromveryparticularbusi
5、ness,joinedtoadesire(perhapsimprudent)ofnotdelayingthepublicationmuchbeyondthetimethatheoriginallyproposed,preventedtheAuthorfromgivingtothesubjectanundividedattention.Hepresumes,however,thatthefactswhichhehasadducedwillbefoundtoformnoinconsiderableevi
6、denceforthetruthofhisopinionrespectingthefutureimprovementofmankind.AstheAuthorcontemplatesthisopinionatpresent,littlemoreappearstohimtobenecessarythanaplainstatement,inadditiontothemostcursoryviewofsociety,toestablishit.Itisanobvioustruth,whichhasbeen
7、takennoticeofbymanywriters,thatpopulationmustalwaysbekeptdowntothelevelofthemeansofsubsistence;butnowriterthattheAuthorrecollectshasinquiredparticularlyintothemeansbywhichthisleveliseffected:anditisaviewofthesemeanswhichforms,tohismind,thestrongestobst
8、acleinthewaytoanyverygreatfutureimprovementofsociety.Hehopesitwillappearthat,inthediscussionofthisinterestingsubject,heisactuatedsolelybyaloveoftruth,andnotbyanyprejudicesagainstanyparticularsetofmen,orofopinions.Heprofessestohavereadso
