Thomas Malthus, an English economist, gained fame for his theory on population growth and its implications for societal development. In his work "An Essay on the Principle of Population," Malthus argued that population tends to grow exponentially while resources grow arithmetically, leading to inevitable crises if unchecked, a theory that continues to influence discussions on demographics and sustainability.
"A great emigration necessarily implies unhappiness of some kind or other in the country that is deserted."
"I think it will be found that experience, the true source and foundation of all knowledge, invariably confirms its truth."
"The constant effort towards population, which is found even in the most vicious societies, increases the number of people before the means of subsistence are increased."
"The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man."
"It is an acknowledged truth in philosophy that a just theory will always be confirmed by experiment."
"Population, when unchecked, goes on doubling itself every 25 years or increases in a geometrical ratio."
"The friend of the present order of things condemns all political speculations in the gross."
"The superior power of population cannot be checked without producing misery or vice."
"The rich, by unfair combinations, contribute frequently to prolong a season of distress among the poor."