What An Essay on the Principle of Population is about
A controversial account of scarcity, population growth and social pressure. Thomas Robert Malthus wrote it in 1826. It sits in the economy shelf of the library.
The edition you read
The original text is the Thomas Robert Malthus, 1826 sixth edition, a public domain edition. The text is complete and keeps its own chapter structure, so every reading points back to the same place in the book.
Where to start
The book opens with these readings, in order. The first one is free in the app.
- Book I, Chapter I: Statement Of The Subject. Ratios Of The Increase Of Population And Food
- Book I, Chapter II: Of The General Checks To Population, And The Mode Of Their Operation
- Book I, Chapter III: Of The Checks To Population In The Lowest Stage Of Human Society
- Scarcity can operate through health, care, and survival, but colonial stereotypes cannot explain Indigenous population or social organisation
How the readings are split
The 117 readings follow the book's own divisions, grouped into 40 parts. Each reading is a sitting of a few minutes, and the reader remembers the paragraph where you stopped.
Reading it in plain English
Every reading has a plain English draft written paragraph by paragraph, and a short guide with context, an explanation, takeaways and a question to think about. The drafts are labeled Unreviewed plain English draft. Drafts, guides and the readings after the first one need Athenaeum Membership.
Questions about An Essay on the Principle of Population
Is An Essay on the Principle of Population free to read?
The Thomas Robert Malthus, 1826 sixth edition is in the public domain. In Athenaeum the first of its 117 readings is free, and Athenaeum Membership opens the rest.
How long is An Essay on the Principle of Population?
Athenaeum splits it into 117 readings. Short books take a week of evenings, and long ones work best a reading or two at a time.
Read An Essay on the Principle of Population in Athenaeum
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