马尔萨斯与政治经济学

About Malthus
"Malthus–Ricardo debate on political economy"
In The Nature of Rent (1815), Malthus had dealt with economic rent, a major concept in classical economics , Malthus proposed rent to be a kind of economic surplus. Ricardo defined a theory of rent in his Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1817): he regarded rent as value in excess of real production—something caused by ownership rather than by free trade. The debate developed over the economic concept of a general glut, and the possibility of failure of Say's Law (The supply generates its own demand). Malthus laid importance on economic development and the persistence of disequilibrium. The context was the post-war depression, denying that capital accumulation (saving) was always good in such circumstances. Besides, Malthus was a supporter of the protectionist Corn Laws. He emerged as the only economist of note to support duties on imported grain. By encouraging domestic production, Malthus argued, the Corn Laws would guarantee British selfsufficiency in food.
The principle cause of error & differences: ① A precipitate attempt to simplify and generalize ② drawing too hasty inferences from a frequent appeal to partial facts.
Nov.6 Malthus
Principles of Political Economy
01 About Malthus 02 The whole book
CONTENTS
03 Introduction
04 Section X
01
About Malthus
About Malthus
Thomas Robert Malthus(1766-1834) was an English cleric and scholar, influential in the fields of political economy and demography.
"Malthusian trap"
In his book An Essay on the Principle of Population, Malthus observed that an increase in a nation's food production improved the well-being of the populace, but the improvement was temporary because it led to population growth, which in turn restored the originalห้องสมุดไป่ตู้per capita production level. In other words, mankind had a propensity to utilize abundance for population growth rather than for maintaining a high standard of living.
Principles of Political Economy
Contents:
Advertisement to the second edition. Memoir of Robert Malthus. Principles of Political Economy. Introduction. Book I CHAPTER I.: Of the definitions of wealth and of productive labor. CHAPTER II.: On the nature, causes and measure of value. CHAPTER III.: Of the rent of land. CHAPTER IV.: Of the wages of labor. CHAPTER V.: Of the profits of capital. CHAPTER VI.: Of the distinction between wealth and value. Book II. CHAPTER I.: On the progress of wealth. Section X.—: Application of some of the preceding Principles to the Distresses of the Laboring Classes since 1815, with General Observations.
03
Introduction
Introduction
Political economy bears a nearer resemblance to morals & politics than to that of math.
Supporting Point: the differences of opinions Example: the Economists VS Adam Smith Agreements: The freedom of trade. Everyone can pursue his own interest his own way under the rules. Disagreements: The nature and origin of wealth.
Consumption＞＞Production: The capital must be diminished. The wealth must be destroyed from its want of power to produce.
Production＞＞Consumption: The motive to accumulate and produce must cease from the want of an effectual demand.
Example: Controversy on the bullion quenstion
Introduction
There are many important propositions in political economy which absolutely Require limitations and exceptions.
Conclusion: There must be some intermediate point taking into consideration both the power to produce and the will to consume.
2013
He wrote: (1) That the increase of population is necessarily limited by the means of subsistence. (2) That population does invariably increase when the means of subsistence increase. (3) That the superior power of population is repressed by moral restraint, vice and misery.
02
The whole book
Summary of Principles of Political Economy
In Principles of Political Economy, Malthus' rebuts David Ricardo's work, particularly rejecting idea developed by Say that theorizes that supply generates its own demand. Say's Law emphasizes the idea that there is no tendency towards a depression because as supply increases, people will naturally demand more. Say believes that an overflow of supply of certain goods will trigger a lack of supply of another type of good. This will create a new balance in the economy. Malthus claims that supply does not generate its own demand and that oversupply can lead the economy to recession. Malthus understands production and demand to exist independent of each other. Both are determined by their own factors. From this Malthus generates the idea of "effective demand," which later becomes popular in Keynesian economics. "Effective demand" iterates that consumers purchase more or less of a good depending on the price a firm charges for it. Malthus' idea suggests that the amount of goods supplied may be a result of the demand.
Example 1 : Parsimony Adam Smith stated that capitals are increased by parsimony, the increase of wealth depends on the balance of produce above consumption. However, Saving, pushed to excess, will destroy the motive to production.