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托马斯·马尔萨斯:人口论·摘录 79

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

I entirely acquit Mr Pitt of any sinister intention in that clause of his Poor Bill which allows a shilling a week to every labourer for each child he has above three. I confess, that before the bill was brought into Parliament, and for some time after, I thought that such a regulation would be highly beneficial, but further reflection on the subject has convinced me that if its object be to better the condition of the poor, it is calculated to defeat the very purpose which it has in view. It has no tendency that I can discover to increase the produce of the country, and if it tend to increase the population, without increasing the produce, the necessary and inevitable consequence appears to be that the same produce must be divided among a greater number, and consequently that a day's labour will purchase a smaller quantity of provisions, and the poor therefore in general must be more distressed.

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4239
定位:Excerpt 79 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

马尔萨斯说,他不怀疑皮特《济贫法案》的动机,该条款给有三个以上孩子的劳工每周每孩一先令。他坦言起初觉得这是好事,但深思后认为,若目的是改善穷人处境,这反而会适得其反。因为该措施不增加国家产出,却可能刺激人口增长;产出不变而人口增加,每人分到的食物就更少,一天劳动换来的口粮更少,穷人整体会更困苦。核心是:不增加供给的救济,可能推高人口,反而稀释人均资源。

上下文

1790年代英国济贫法改革争论,马尔萨斯反对单纯补贴多子女家庭。

今日一问

一项福利政策若不增加资源供给,是否可能因改变激励而让受益者更糟?

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