投资 · 西方古典
托马斯·马尔萨斯：人口论·摘录 71
托马斯·马尔萨斯《人口论》· An Essay on the Principle of Population · 投资
But the English North American colonies, now the powerful people of the United States of America, made by far the most rapid progress. To the plenty of good land which they possessed in common with the Spanish and Portuguese settlements, they added a greater degree of liberty and equality. Though not without some restrictions on their foreign commerce, they were allowed a perfect liberty of managing their own internal affairs. The political institutions that prevailed were favourable to the alienation and division of property. Lands that were not cultivated by the proprietor within a limited time were declared grantable to any other person. In Pennsylvania there was no right of primogeniture, and in the provinces of New England the eldest had only a double share. There were no tithes in any of the States, and scarcely any taxes. And on account of the extreme cheapness of good land a capital could not be more advantageously employed than in agriculture, which at the same time that it supplies the greatest quantity of healthy work affords much the most valuable produce to the society.
出处：
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4239
定位：Excerpt 71 · 核对日期：2026-10-19 · 核验：短摘录
白话
马尔萨斯认为，英属北美殖民地（即后来的美国）人口增长最快。原因不仅是土地肥沃，还有更大的自由和平等。他们虽受外贸限制，但内政自主；政治制度有利于财产分割，如无长子继承权、土地限期未耕可转让他人、无什一税、税负极轻。土地便宜，资本投入农业最划算，农业提供大量健康工作和高价值产出。这告诉我们，自由、平等和土地政策能激发经济活力，促进人口增长。可行动的是在制定土地和税收政策时，考虑如何鼓励生产性投资和劳动。
上下文
马尔萨斯在《人口论》中分析美国人口快速增长的原因，强调自由、平等和土地政策的作用。
今日一问
在当今土地资源紧张的城市，如何借鉴这种鼓励生产性利用土地的政策思路？
公版作品；原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg，仅摘录段落并附全书链接。
你的邮箱
只用于发送原典。不发广告，不卖名单。
本文本为公版；底本与原文链接见上。 版权