Abstract
A brief biographical sketch precedes a discussion of important methodological features of Malthus’s work, especially his ‘doctrine of proportions’ and the need for moderation and balance in economic principles and policies. His principle of laissez-faire admitted exceptions; and, although his principle of population warned of over-population, he acknowledged the potential advantages of population growth. His ideas on the Poor Laws, the Corn Laws, Say’s Law, and the relation between saving and investment are discussed; and the roles given to effective demand and to distribution as a factor of production, especially the distribution of landed property, are emphasized.
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Pullen, J.M. (2018). Malthus, Thomas Robert (1766–1834). In: The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95189-5_1147
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95189-5_1147
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