The Origins of Malthus's Data on Population: The Political and Religious Biases in the American Sources

Dean Peterson

Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 1997, vol. 19, issue 1, 114-126

Abstract: The importance of Thomas Robert Malthus's ratios has long been acknowledged. Combined with his use of population figures from America, they gave his first Essay on the Principle of Population the appearance of a scientific study backed by empirical evidence. Prominent economists such as David Ricardo, Nassau Senior, Alfred Marshall, John Maynard Keynes, and Joseph A. Schumpeter credited the Essay with being a major work of science. Many scholars have claimed that the trappings of science contributed significantly to the persuasiveness of Malthus's view to his intended readers, who believed that human nature operated according to strict mechanical laws (Rashid 1987, p. 22).

Date: 1997
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