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MALTHUS, Thomas Robert (1766-1834). An Essay on the Principle of Population; or, a View of Its Past and Present Effects on Human Happiness… London: J. Johnson, 1806. 8vos. xvi, [1]-[564]; [viii], [1]-559, [1, blank] pp. Bound in near contemporary full calf, boards ruled in gilt, spines ruled and numbered in gilt in compartments, dark brown gilt morocco lettering label on each spine, five raised bands (some wear, mild chipping to bindings, joints just starting, spines a bit dull and worn, some foxing in text, otherwise text is fairly bright). Each volume with the armorial bookplate of John Phillips, Edstone. Very good. THIRD EDITION, AND THE FIRST TWO-VOLUME EDITION, OF MALTHUS’ IMPORTANT AND CONTROVERSIAL BOOK ON POPULATION GROWTH. In this book, Malthus, an economist, argued that population growth was on a geometric scale, while food and resources grew on an arithmetic scale, so that population would outstrip the available resources in the future, causing famine and other disasters. Also, that the huge growth of population would lead to too many workers, thus lowering wages and plunging millions into poverty. Malthus would revise and publish six editions of this work throughout his life, including this one (although it was the second edition that garnered his greatest changes). In this third edition and later editions, Malthus advocated for sexual abstinence and marriage later in life, so as to slow population growth. This is one of the foundational economics titles of the modern era, and heavily influenced Darwin and Wallace. PMM 251 (the first edition). Lowndes 1459.