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JONATHAN SWIFT ON THE LIVES OF THE POOR NATIVE IRISH AS SEEN THROUGH“A MODEST PROPOSAL” AND OTHER OF HIS WRITINGS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 November 2013

Patrick Welch
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Abstract

This article focuses on Jonathan Swift’s “A ModestProposal” and other of his writings that were prompted by theunsustainable socio-economic and geo-political conditions under which the poornative Irish were living. The article begins with introductory comments and thenmoves to conditions in Ireland when Swift was writing that contributed to hisstrong concern for the native poor. Next is provided a summary of “AModest Proposal” and consideration of what drove Swift to the extremehe reached in the essay. Following this, Swift’s writings areexplored as indicators of his opinion of political arithmeticians, andconclusions close the paper.

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Journal of the History of Economic Thought , Volume 35 , Issue 4 , December 2013 , pp. 471 - 489
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Copyright © The History of Economics Society 2013 

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