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Updated: June 5, 2025
But we may, I think, say, that since his writing no serious economical writer has adopted the old hasty guesses, or has ventured to propose a theory without regard to the principles of which he first brought out the full significance. This I take to indicate one real and permanent value of Malthus's writings. He introduced a new method of approaching the great social problems.
Malthus is at present disposed to deny, or that he has not himself expressly insisted upon in some part or other of his various works. He only argues that Malthus's concessions are made at the cost of self-contradiction. Why then, it may be asked, should not Hazlitt take the position of an improver and harmoniser of the doctrine rather than of a fierce opponent?
The theory of Malthus makes no allowance for the general law of animal fertility, which is that as the rate of individual evolution increases the rate of reproduction decreases. Of course, Malthus's theory antedates this law of animal fertility, which was first stated by Herbert Spencer.
The science, he tells us, is deducible from four elementary propositions: the first of which asserts that every 'man desires to obtain additional wealth with as little sacrifice as possible'; while the others state the first principles embodied in Malthus's theory of population, and in the laws corresponding to the increasing facility of manufacturing and the decreasing facility of agricultural industry.
They did not see that one term of the proportion implied the other. Malthus's whole criticism of the poor-law, already noticed, is a commentary upon this text. It is connected with a general theory of human nature.
The value of every improvement turns upon its effect in encouraging the 'moral restraint. Malthus's ultimate criterion is always, Will the measure make people averse to premature marriage? He reaches the apparently inconsistent result that it might be desirable to make an allowance for every child beyond six.
The copy of Malthus's second edition with Coleridge's notes used by Southey is in the British Museum. See Southey's Political. Thoughts occasioned by Dr. Parr's Spital Sermon. A copy annotated by Coleridge is in the British Museum. Thoughts, etc., pp. 56, 61, 62. Ibid. p. 71. Lines added to Goldsmith's Traveller. Reply to the Essay on Population, etc., 1807. The book was anonymous.
Dumont's theory of the growth of population has no more scientific value than Malthus's theory.
Malthus's whole theory, he says, rests upon the case of America; and with the help of Mr. Booth and some very unsatisfactory statistics, he tries to prove that the increase shown in the American census has been entirely due to immigration. Malthus safely declined to take any notice of a production which in fact shows that Godwin had lost his early vigour.
Thus all Malthus's teaching may be said to converge upon this practical point. Add to the Ten Commandments the new law, 'Thou shalt not marry until there is a fair prospect of supporting six children. Then population will increase, but sufficient means for subsistence will always be provided beforehand.
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