Malthus and His Work

Language: English

Published by Macmillan and Co., 1885

  • Hardcover
  • Used
See all details
Item image 1 of 2.

Seller: Yesterday's Muse, ABAA, ILAB, IOBA, Webster, NY, U.S.A.Yesterday's Muse, ABAA, ILAB, IOBA

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since July 2, 2003

Association member: ABAAIOBAILAB

View this seller's items
Hardcover

Condition: Used - Very good

£ 43.82

 Free Shipping 
Ships within U.S.A.

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket
Free 30-day returns

Item description from seller

Spine slightly cocked, board corners rubbed and bumped, ink name on front paste-down endpaper. 1885 Hard Cover. viii, 432 pp. "Thomas Robert Malthus (13/14 February 1766 - 23 December 1834) was an English cleric, scholar and influential economist in the fields of political economy and demography. In his 1798 book An Essay on the Principle of Population, Malthus observed that an increase in a nation's food production improved the well-being of the populace, but the improvement was temporary because it led to population growth, which in turn restored the original per capita production level. In other words, humans had a propensity to utilize abundance for population growth rather than for maintaining a high standard of living, a view that has become known as the "Malthusian trap" or the "Malthusian spectre". Populations had a tendency to grow until the lower class suffered hardship, want and greater susceptibility to famine and disease, a view that is sometimes referred to as a Malthusian catastrophe. Malthus wrote in opposition to the popular view in 18th-century Europe that saw society as improving and in principle as perfectible. Malthus saw population growth as being inevitable whenever conditions improved, thereby precluding real 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 cleric, he saw this situation as divinely imposed to teach virtuous behaviour. Malthus wrote that "the increase of population is necessarily limited by the means of subsistence"; "population does invariably increase when the means of subsistence increase"; and "the superior power of population is repressed by moral restraint, vice and misery". Malthus criticized the Poor Laws for leading to inflation rather than improving the well-being of the poor. He supported taxes on grain imports (the Corn Laws). His views became influential and controversial across economic, political, social and scientific thought. Pioneers of evolutionary biology read him, notably Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. Malthus' failure to predict the industrial revolution was a frequent criticism of his theories. Malthus laid the ".theoretical foundation of the conventional wisdom that has dominated the debate, both scientifically and ideologically, on global hunger and famines for almost two centuries." He remains a much-debated writer.

Seller Inventory # 2308304

Bibliographic details

Title
Malthus and His Work
Author
Bonar, James
Publisher
Macmillan and Co.
Publication year
1885
Condition
Very Good
Dust jacket
No Jacket
Binding
Hard Cover
Language
English
Item weight
32 ounces
Dimensions
0x0x0

Yesterday's Muse, ABAA, ILAB, IOBA

Webster, NY, U.S.A.

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since July 2, 2003

Association member:

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Item5 to 14 business days2 to 6 business days
First item£ 0.00£ 9.70
Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.

Payment methods

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay

Store description

We buy, sell and trade used, rare, collectible, and unusual books and paper. We operate a storefront in our home town of Webster, NY which is open six days a week -- see our website for store hours.

Specialty

American & World Literature, Antiquarian & Collectible Books, Modern First Editions, Eastern Religion & Traditions, Philosophy, Americana / American History

Association member

  • Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America
  • Independent Online Booksellers Association
  • International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
Members of these associations are committed to maintaining the highest standards. They vouch for the authenticity of all items offered for sale. They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience.

Seller's business information

Yesterday's Muse, Inc.

32 W Main St Ste 1
Webster, NY U.S.A. 14580