Cleanliness Quote by Thomas Malthus
“Instead of recommending cleanliness to the poor, we should encourage contrary habits. In our towns we should make the streets narrower, crowd more people into the houses, and court the return of the plague.”
About This Quote
Source Treat: An Essay on the Principle of Population, 1798
Malthus suggests that overcrowding and poor sanitation are inevitable outcomes of poverty, implying that reducing space and increasing density could exacerbate disease spread.
In simple terms: Overcrowding worsens health risks.
Key Takeaway
Consider public health impacts of urban planning.
Themes
population
health
urban planning
poverty
disease
Mood
critical
somber
analytical
Type
philosophical
sociopolitical
When to use this quote
- city planning
- housing policy
- public health campaigns
- resource allocation
Key Concepts
Malthusian theory
social policy
public health
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance population control with humane living standards?
- What alternatives exist to improve health without increasing density?
A Different Perspective
Ignores moral responsibility to improve living conditions.
![“[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)
