“ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF MODERN ECONOMICS”

MALTHUS, Thomas Robert. An Essay on the Principle of Population; or, A View of its Past and Present Effects on Human Happiness. London: John Murray, 1826. Two volumes. Octavo, contemporary full diced brown calf, raised bands, black and red morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers and edges. Housed in a custom slipcase. $2600.

1826 edition of Malthus’ controversial Essay, the final one published in his lifetime, in contemporary calf.

"One of the founders of modern economics," Malthus first published his highly contested Essay on the Principles of Population in 1798. This landmark work "was originally the product of a discussion on the perfectibility of society with his father, [who] urged him to publish. Thus the first edition (published anonymously) was essentially a fighting tract, but later editions were considerably altered and grew bulkier as Malthus defended his views against a host of critics… The Essay was highly influential in the progress of thought in early 19th-century Europe [and] his influence on social policy was considerable… Both Darwin and Wallace clearly acknowledged Malthus as a source of the idea of 'the struggle for existence" (PMM 251). "The achievement of Malthus was the exposition of the theory of population; and his name has been associated so closely with this theory that, like Darwin's, it has added a new adjective to the language of civilized peoples" (Palgrave II:670-1). This is the sixth edition, the final one to be published in his lifetime. Lowndes, 1459. Goldsmiths 24893. Early owner signatures dated 1874.

Text quite fresh and clean, Volume II with small chip to rear free endpaper, slight rubbing, edge-wear to contemporary boards. An extremely good copy.