Country Quote by Thomas Malthus
“If a country can only be rich by running a successful race for low wages, I should be disposed to say at once, perish such riches!”
About This Quote
Source Essay: An Essay on the Principle of Population, 1798
He argues that wealth based on low wages is unsustainable and should be rejected.
In simple terms: Riches from low wages are harmful.
Key Takeaway
Reject exploitative wealth models.
Themes
economics
ethics
inequality
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- social reform
- business ethics
Key Concepts
population theory
labor economics
morality
Questions to Reflect On
- What alternatives to low-wage growth exist?
- How to balance prosperity and fairness?
A Different Perspective
Transitioning economies is complex.
![“By 18th century standards, they [Great Britain] were the freest, most dynamic, most willing to challenge tradition and authority. They had the highest wages and highest living standard, and probably the most engagement between the populace and the government of any country. Then the United States…” quote by Charles R. Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ca2/charles-r-morris-19787_18th-century_by-18th-century-standards-they-great-bri_49883.jpg)
![“[P]opulation, when unchecked, goes on doubling itself every twenty-five years, or increases in a geometrical ratio. ... [T]he means of subsistence, under circumstances the most favorable to human industry, could not possibly be made to increase faster than in an arithmetical ratio.” quote by Thomas Malthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/16b/thomas-malthus-7621_circumstances_p-opulation-when-unchecked-goes-on-doubl_324443.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
