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托马斯·马尔萨斯:人口论·摘录 41

托马斯·马尔萨斯《人口论》· An Essay on the Principle of Population · 投资

The reason that the greater part of Europe is more populous now than it was in former times, is that the industry of the inhabitants has made these countries produce a greater quantity of human subsistence. For I conceive that it may be laid down as a position not to be controverted, that, taking a sufficient extent of territory to include within it exportation and importation, and allowing some variation for the prevalence of luxury, or of frugal habits, that population constantly bears a regular proportion to the food that the earth is made to produce. In the controversy concerning the populousness of ancient and modern nations, could it be clearly ascertained that the average produce of the countries in question, taken altogether, is greater now than it was in the times of Julius Caesar, the dispute would be at once determined.

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4239
定位:Excerpt 41 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

欧洲大部分地区现在比过去人口更多,原因是居民的勤劳使这些国家生产出更多人类生存资料。马尔萨斯认为,可以确立一个不可争议的立场:只要领土范围足够大,包含进出口,并允许奢侈或节俭习惯带来一些变化,人口就始终与土地生产的食物保持固定比例。在关于古今人口多寡的争论中,如果能清楚证明所涉国家的平均产量现在比凯撒时代更高,争论就立刻解决了。

上下文

马尔萨斯提出人口与食物生产成比例的核心观点,并用古今欧洲人口比较来论证。

今日一问

如果人口始终与食物生产成比例,我们今天该如何看待农业技术与人口政策的关系?

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