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托马斯·马尔萨斯:人口论·摘录 72
托马斯·马尔萨斯《人口论》· An Essay on the Principle of Population · 投资
The consequence of these favourable circumstances united was a rapidity of increase probably without parallel in history. Throughout all the northern colonies, the population was found to double itself in twenty-five years. The original number of persons who had settled in the four provinces of new England in 1643 was 21,200.(I take these figures from Dr Price's two volumes of Observations; not having Dr Styles' pamphlet, from which he quotes, by me.) Afterwards, it is supposed that more left them than went to them. In the year 1760, they were increased to half a million. They had therefore all along doubled their own number in twenty-five years. In New Jersey the period of doubling appeared to be twenty-two years; and in Rhode island still less. In the back settlements, where the inhabitants applied themselves solely to agriculture, and luxury was not known, they were found to double their own number in fifteen years, a most extraordinary instance of increase. Along the sea coast, which would naturally be first inhabited, the period of doubling was about thirty-five years; and in some of the maritime towns, the population was absolutely at a stand.
出处:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4239
定位:Excerpt 72 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录
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马尔萨斯用北美殖民地的数据说明:在资源充足、没有奢侈、人人务农的地方,人口每二十五年就能翻一倍,边远地区甚至十五年翻倍;而沿海城镇因为拥挤和疾病,翻倍要三十五年,有的地方甚至停滞。他想证明人口有按几何级数增长的潜力,一旦阻碍(苦难和罪恶)被移除,增长就会极快。这提醒我们:看人口增长不能只看总数,要看当地的食物、住房、卫生条件是否跟得上;条件越好,增长越快,但也会更快撞上资源上限。
上下文
马尔萨斯《人口论》1798年初版,用北美殖民地数据论证人口增长潜力。
今日一问
你所在的城市或社区,哪些条件在推动人口增长,哪些在抑制它?
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