Owen's Moral Physiology; or, A Brief and Plain Treatise on the Population Question

A concise 19th‑century treatise that tackles the “population question” through the lens of utilitarian ethics, this work argues that the greatest happiness of the many should guide public policy. Drawing on Bentham’s principle of utility, the author examines how demographic pressures intersect with moral responsibility, urging readers to consider the social consequences of unchecked growth.

The opening pages feature a striking illustration of a mother leaving her infant at Paris’s Foundling Hospital, a symbol of compassionate care for society’s most vulnerable. Through vivid description and earnest argument, the text calls for humane institutions that balance economic efficiency with kindness, suggesting that scientific insight into human physiology can inform better legislation and reduce moral evils. Updated with recent observations, the treatise offers a thoughtful, historically grounded perspective on how population dynamics shape ethical choices.