An Essay on the Principle of Population

Malthus (1766-1834) was a political economist who was concerned about the decline of living conditions in nineteenth century England. He blamed this decline on three elements: the overproduction of children; the inability of resources to keep up with the rising human population; and the irresponsibility of the lower classes. To combat this, Malthus suggested the family size of the lower classes ought to be regulated such that poor families do not produce more children than they can support. His arguments were directed against William Godwin (1756-1836) whose Enquiry Concerning Political Justice argued in favor of a more egalitarian society and economics in order to end poverty.