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TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE......................................................................................... VII CHAPTER 1 ........................................................................................1 Questi<strong>on</strong> stated - Little prospect <strong>of</strong> a determinati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> it, from <strong>the</strong> enmity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> opposing parties - The principal argument against <strong>the</strong> perfectibility <strong>of</strong> man and <strong>of</strong> society has never been fairly answered - Nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> difficulty arising from populati<strong>on</strong> - Outline <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> principal argument <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Essay</str<strong>on</strong>g> CHAPTER 2 ........................................................................................6 The different ratio in which populati<strong>on</strong> and food increase - The necessary effects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se different ratios <strong>of</strong> increase - Oscillati<strong>on</strong> produced by <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lower classes <strong>of</strong> society - Reas<strong>on</strong>s why this oscillati<strong>on</strong> has not been so much observed as might be expected - Three propositi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> which <strong>the</strong> general argument <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Essay</str<strong>on</strong>g> depends - The different states in which mankind have been known to exist proposed to be examined with reference to <strong>the</strong>se three propositi<strong>on</strong>s. CHAPTER 3 ......................................................................................12 The savage or hunter state shortly reviewed - The shepherd state, or <strong>the</strong> tribes <strong>of</strong> barbarians that overran <strong>the</strong> Roman Empire - The superiority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> populati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> means <strong>of</strong> subsistence - <strong>the</strong> cause <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> great tide <strong>of</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Emigrati<strong>on</strong>. CHAPTER 4 ......................................................................................17 State <strong>of</strong> civilized nati<strong>on</strong>s - Probability that Europe is much more populous now than in <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> Julius Caesar - Best criteri<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> populati<strong>on</strong> - Probable error <strong>of</strong> Hume in <strong>on</strong>e <strong>the</strong> criteri<strong>on</strong>s that he proposes as assisting in an estimate <strong>of</strong> populati<strong>on</strong> - Slow increase <strong>of</strong> populati<strong>on</strong> at present in most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> states <strong>of</strong> Europe - The two principal checks to populati<strong>on</strong> - The first, or preventive check examined with regard to England. CHAPTER 5 ......................................................................................23 The sec<strong>on</strong>d, or positive check to populati<strong>on</strong> examined, in England - The true cause why <strong>the</strong> immense sum collected in England for <strong>the</strong> poor does not better <strong>the</strong>ir c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> - The powerful tendency <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> poor laws to defeat <strong>the</strong>ir own purpose - Palliative <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> distresses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> poor proposed - The absolute impossibility, from <strong>the</strong> fixed laws <strong>of</strong> our nature, that <strong>the</strong> pressure <strong>of</strong> want can ever be completely removed iii
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