Thomas Robert Malthus -- Preface -- CONTENTS -- CHAPTER I -- Question stated 7 -- Little prospect of a determination of it 8 -- Principal argument against the perfectibility of man 9 -- Nature of the difficulty arising from population 10 -- Outline of the principal argument of the essay 11 -- CHAPTER II -- Different ratios in which population and food increase 13 -- Necessary effects of these different ratios 14 -- Oscillation produced by them in the lower classes 16 -- Reasons why oscillation not much observed 17 -- Three propositions 18 -- Different states in which mankind exists 19 -- CHAPTER III -- Savage or hunter state shortly reviewed 20 -- Shepherd state 21 -- Superiority of the power of population to the means of subsistence 22 -- Cause of the great tide of Northern Emigration 23 -- CHAPTER IV -- State of civilised nations 25 -- Probability that Europe is much more populous now 25 -- Probable error of Hume 26 -- Slow increase of population at present in Europe 27 -- Two principal checks to population 28 -- First, or preventive check examined with regard to England 28 -- CHAPTER V -- Second check to population examined, in England 31 -- Why the immense sum collected in England for the poor does not better their condition 32 -- Powerful tendency of the poor laws to defeat their own purpose 34 -- Palliative of the distresses of the poor proposed 38 -- Impossibility that the pressure of want can ever be completely removed 40 -- All the checks to population may be resolved into misery or vice 40 -- CHAPTER VI -- New colonies 41 -- Reasons of their rapid increase 41 -- North American Colonies 42 -- Extraordinary instance of increase in the back settlements 42 -- Rapidity with which even old states recover 44 -- CHAPTER VII -- Probable cause of epidemics 45 -- Extracts from Mr. Susmilch's tables 45.

Periodical returns of sickly seasons to be expected 48 -- Proportion of births to burials inadequate criterion of increase 48 -- Best criterion of a permanent increase 51 -- Great frugality causes famines of China and Indostan 51 -- Evil tendency of one of the clauses in Mr. Pitt's Poor Bill 52 -- Only one proper way of encouraging population 53 -- Causes of the happiness of nations 53 -- Famine, the last and most dreadful mode 54 -- Three propositions considered as established. 54 -- CHAPTER VIII -- Mr. Wallace 55 -- Error of supposing that the difficulty arising from population is at a great distance 55 -- Mr. Condorcet's sketch of the progress of the human mind 55 -- Period when the oscillation to be applied to the human race. 58 -- CHAPTER IX -- Mr. Condorcet's conjecture concerning the perfectibility of man 60 -- Fallacy of unlimited progress from a partial improvement 63 -- CHAPTER X -- Mr. Godwin's system of equality 66 -- Error of attributing all the vices of mankind to human institutions 67 -- Mr. Godwin's first answer totally insufficient 68 -- Mr. Godwin's beautiful system of equality supposed to be realised 69 -- Its utter destruction in so short a time as thirty years. 71 -- CHAPTER XI -- Mr. Godwin and the extinction of passion between the sexes 78 -- Little apparent grounds for such a conjecture 78 -- Passion of love not inconsistent either with reason or virtue. 80 -- CHAPTER XII -- Mr. Godwin's conjecture on prolongation of human life 81 -- Improper inference drawn from the effects of mental stimulants 83 -- Mr. Godwin's and Mr. Condorcet's conjecture a curious instance of inconsistency 87 -- CHAPTER XIII -- Error of Mr. Godwin in considering man merely rational 91 -- Passions will always act as disturbing forces 92 -- Reasonings of Mr. Godwin on the subject of coercion 93.

Some truths of a nature not to be communicated 95 -- CHAPTER XIV -- Mr. Godwin's five propositions not established 96 -- Reasons why the vices of man can never be wholly eradicated 97 -- Perfectibility not applicable to man 98 -- Nature of the real perfectibility 99 -- CHAPTER XV -- Models too perfect, may impede improvement 65 -- Mr. Godwin's essay on avarice and profusion 65 -- Impossibility of dividing labour amicably among all 106 -- Invectives against labour may produce present evil 107 -- Agricultural labour must always be an advantage to the labourer 108 -- CHAPTER XVI -- Probable error of Dr. Adam Smith 110 -- England richer without increase in funds for labour 112 -- Poor in China not improved by manufactures. 115 -- CHAPTER XVII -- Proper definition of the wealth of a state 117 -- Reason of French Economists not the true reason 117 -- Labour of manufacturers productive to individuals, not to the state 117 -- Dr. Price's two volumes of observations 120 -- Error of Dr. Price on happiness and rapid population of America 121 -- No advantage from shutting our eyes to the difficulties in the improvement of society. 123 -- CHAPTER XVIII -- Constant pressure of distress on man 124 -- State of trial inconsistent with the foreknowledge of God 124 -- World a process for awakening matter into mind 125 -- Theory of the formation of mind 126 -- Excitements from the wants of the body 126 -- Excitements from the operation of general laws 127 -- Excitements from from the principle of population. 129 -- CHAPTER XIX -- Sorrows of life necessary to soften and humanise the heart 132 -- Excitements of social sympathy often produce characters of a higher order 132 -- Moral evil probably necessary 133 -- Excitements from the infinite variety of nature 134 -- Difficulties in Revelation 136.

Scriptures best suited to the improvement of the human faculties 137 -- Mind created by excitements accounts for the existence of evil. 139 -- Adam Smith: Probable error of 110 -- Agricultural labour must always be an advantage to the labourer 108 -- Best criterion of a permanent increase 51 -- Births to burials: Proportion of inadequate criterion of increase in population 48 -- Check to population: First, or preventive examined with regard to England 28 -- Check to population: Second examined in England 31 -- Checks to population: All may be resolved into misery or vice 40 -- Coercion : Reasonings of Mr. Godwin on the subject of 93 -- Condorcet's conjecture concerning the perfectibility of man 60 -- Condorcet's sketch of the progress of the human mind 55 -- Constant pressure of distress on man 124 -- Different ratios in which population and food increase 13 -- Different ratios: Necessary effects of 14 -- Different states in which mankind exists 19 -- Encouraging population : Only one proper way of 53 -- England richer without increase in funds for labour 112 -- Epidemics: Probable cause of 45 -- Error of Dr. Price on happiness and rapid population of America 121 -- Error of Mr. Godwin in considering man merely rational 91 -- Error of attributing all the vices of mankind to human institutions 67 -- Error of supposing that the difficulty arising from population is at a great distance 55 -- Europe: Probability that it is much more populous now 25 -- Excitements from from the principle of population. 129 -- Excitements from the infinite variety of nature 134 -- Excitements from the operation of general laws 127 -- Excitements from the wants of the body 126 -- Excitements of social sympathy often produce characters of a higher order 132 -- Extinction of passion between the sexes: Little apparent grounds for 78.

Extraordinary instance of increase in the back settlements 42 -- Fallacy of unlimited progress from a partial improvement 63 -- Famine, the last and most dreadful mode 54 -- Famines of China and Indostan: Frugality causes 51 -- Godwin and the extinction of passion between the sexes 78 -- Godwin's and Condorcet's conjecture a curious instance of inconsistency 87 -- Godwin's beautiful system of equality supposed to be realised 69 -- Godwin's conjecture on prolongation of human life 81 -- Godwin's essay on avarice and profusion 65 -- Godwin's first answer totally insufficient 68 -- Godwin's five propositions not established 96 -- Godwin's system of equality 66 -- Godwin's system: Its utter destruction in thirty years. 71 -- Happiness of nations: Causes 53 -- Hume : Probable error of 26 -- Impossibility of dividing labour amicably among all 106 -- Invectives against labour may produce present evil 107 -- Labour of manufacturers productive to individuals, not to the state 117 -- Little prospect of a determination of it 8 -- Mental stimulants : Improper inference drawn from the effects of 84 -- Mind created by excitements accounts for the existence of evil. 140 -- Models too perfect, may impede improvement 65 -- Moral evil probably necessary 133 -- Mr. Pitt's Poor Bill: Evil tendency of one of the clauses 52 -- New colonies 41 -- New colonies: Reasons of their rapid increase of 41 -- No advantage from shutting our eyes to the difficulties in the improvement of society. 123 -- North American Colonies 42 -- Northern Emigration : Cause of the great tide of 23 -- Oscillation produced in the lower classes 16 -- Oscillation: Period when applied to the human race. 58 -- Oscillation: Reasons why not much observed 17 -- Outline of the principal argument of the essay 11 -- Palliative of the distresses of the poor proposed 38.

Passion of love not inconsistent either with reason or virtue. 80.