It is also because when viewed through a contemporary lens his argument does a remarkable job of upsetting people across the political spectrum. Malthus’s insistence that there are clear limits to growth upsets those who support unbridled free markets and perpetual growth, and chimes favorably with those who are concerned about sustainability. But his insistence that the majority of people will always be poor because inequality and suffering are part of God’s divine plan pleases some religious conservatives, yet gravely offends many on the secular left.
