Versuch über die Bedingung und die Folgen der Volksvermehrung. [An Essay on the Principle of Population, in German translation].

Altona, I. F. Hammerich, 1807. . First German edition, 2 vols, 8vo (20 x 12.5 cm). pp. xvi, 368; pp. vii, 358; very slight spotting to vol. 1. Contemporary half-brown leather binding; flat spine, gilt bands separating compartments, compartments 1, 3, 5 and 6 contain gilt floral decoration, compartments 2 and 4 contain gilt lettering including translator's name and title, gilt library stamp to both upper boards, library stamps to verso of both upper boards and title pages, pencil markings to verso of upper boards and endpapers; rubbed, water or possibly glue marks to verso of upper boards and endpapers. Rare first German edition and first translation into a foreign language of this important work by the father of Malthusianism. Malthus' original work, written in English, was first published anonymously in 1798. It discusses the problem of the gap between population growth, which is potentially exponential, and the growth of food supply, which is not. The work arose from a discussion between Malthus and his father about the possibility of a better society, and went on to have an enormous impact on social policy. Ultimately, Malthus believed, population growth would always outrun food supply, and therefore the betterment of society was impossible without stern limits on reproduction. For this reason he is often associated with Darwin. His views became popular again in the XX century, largely due to the work of John Maynard Keynes. 'The essay exercised a strong influence on European intellectual development at the beginning of the nineteenth century... the Socialists fought him unanimously... and the Conservatives were happy that somebody was fighting against the spread of revolutionary ideas from the continent.' (Carter/Muir). Thomas Malthus (1766 - 1834) was born into a family of intellectuals, and his father was a great friend of the philosopher David Hume. He took holy orders in 1797 but in 1805 decided to become a professor, teaching history and the relatively new subject of political economy at the East India Company college in Haileybury. He was elected a member of the Royal Society in 1819 and in 1834 founded the Statistical Society of London.