Some British Empiricists in the Social Sciences, 1650–1900

by Richard Stone

• ISBN13: 9780521128452
• ISBN10: 0521128455
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-02-04
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

These lectures focus on twelve pioneers of economic, demographic and social statistics ranging from the seventeenth century to the end of the nineteenth century. The first lecture discusses the work of the political arithmeticians including William Petty, Founding Fellow of the Royal Society. The second lecture considers three steps in the development of quantitative economics in the form of Bishop Fleetwood, Arthur Young and Patrick Colquhoun. In the third lecture Stone turns to demography, and to John Graunt, Edmond Halley and William Farr. The fourth lecture deals with social statistics in the persons of Frederick Morton Eden, Florence Nightingale and Charles Booth.

Table of Contents

First Lecture: the Political Arithmeticians

William Petty and the birth of national accounting

Charles Davenant and the analysis of taxes

Gregory King and the development of economic statistics

Second Lecture: Progress in Economic Statistics

William Fleetwood and the birth of index numbers

Arthur Young and the concept of value added

Patrick Colquhoun and the accounts of the British Empire

Third Lecture: Demography and Vital Statistics

John Graunt and the birth of demographic statistics

Edmond Halley and the first life table

William Farr and the development of vital statistics

Fouth Lecture: Quantitative Social Studies

Frederick Morton Eden and the poor of England

Florence Nightingale and hospital reform

Charles Booth and the London working classes

Comments

Richard Stone: an autobiographical sketch

Bibliography of Richard Stone's works

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.