About this title: Vol. 2 of the 6th expanded edition of the
work. There are two versions of Thomas Robert Malthus’s Essay on
the Principle of Population. The first, published anonymously in
1798, was so successful that Malthus soon elaborated on it under
his real name. The rewrite, culminating in the sixth edition of
1826, was a scholarly expansion and generalization of the first.
In this work Malthus argues that there is a disparity between
the rate of growth of population (which increases geometrically)
and the rate of growth of agriculture (which increases only
arithmetically). He then explores how populations have
historically been kept in check. About Liberty Fund: Liberty
Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to
encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and
responsible individuals. The text is in the public domain. Fair
use statement: This material is put online to further the
educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. Unless otherwise stated
in the Copyright Information s