[Series Introduction: Classics of National Economy]: An introduction to the 'Classics of National Economy' collection, outlining its goal to make significant economic texts from various eras (mercantilist, classical, neoclassical) accessible through bibliophile reprints and commentaries. It emphasizes the tension between economic analysis, ideology, and policy interests in the development of the science. [Title Page and Publication Metadata]: Title page and publication details for the commentary volume on William Petty's 'Political Arithmetick'. Lists the contributing authors and provides copyright information for the 1992 edition. [Introduction to William Petty's Political Arithmetick]: Bertram Schefold provides a comprehensive introduction to William Petty, describing him as a brilliant and adventurous figure in economic history. The essay covers Petty's life—from his medical studies and role as a surveyor in Cromwellian Ireland to his founding role in the Royal Society. Schefold analyzes Petty's methodology of 'Number, Weight, and Measure,' his early attempts at calculating national wealth (social product), and his controversial proposals for population transfer. The text explores Petty's influence on classical economics, his proto-labor theory of value, and his views on money, interest, and state-led employment programs (including the 'pyramid' example later cited by Keynes). It also discusses Petty's role in establishing market homogeneity through quality standards and his position as a transitional figure between mercantilism and classical liberalism. [Epigrams and Testimonials on William Petty]: A collection of historical and modern testimonials regarding William Petty's personality, work, and methodology. Includes contemporary accounts from Aubrey, Evelyn, and Pepys describing his character and physical appearance, as well as academic assessments from Schumpeter, Marx, and Hull regarding his contributions to statistics, national accounting, and the labor theory of value. The section highlights his versatility as a physician, surveyor, and inventor. [Sir William Petty: Biography and the Context of Political Arithmetick]: Denis P. O'Brien provides a biographical sketch of Petty, detailing his education with Jesuits, his association with Thomas Hobbes, and his significant role in the 'Down Survey' of Ireland. The essay then focuses on the 'Political Arithmetick' (1690), explaining its political purpose as a response to English fears of French dominance. O'Brien critiques Petty's use of numbers as a rhetorical tool, noting his occasional carelessness with data while praising his innovative use of ratios and inequalities to compare national strengths. The section also touches on Petty's mercantilist views, his Hobbesian state-centrism, and his insights into the velocity of money and taxation. [Introduction to the Method of Political Arithmetick]: Tony Aspromourgos and A.W. Coats introduce Petty's 'Political Arithmetick' as a foundational text for the classical tradition. They argue that Petty was an idiosyncratic genius who moved beyond simple mercantilist tropes like the balance of trade. This section traces the development of Petty's thought from his early observations in Holland and his 'Treatise of Taxes' (1662) to the formalization of 'Political Arithmetic' in the 1670s. It defines the method as the use of 'Number, Weight, or Measure' to establish objective foundations for statecraft, contrasting it with subjective 'opinions' or 'superlatives.' [The Historical Context of William Petty's Life and Thought]: This section examines William Petty's life within the turbulent 17th-century English history, highlighting his survival through the Restoration and his intellectual roots in the Hartlib Circle. It discusses the transition from 'Political Anatomy' to 'Political Arithmetick' and argues that Petty's work was a unique blend of practical administration and theoretical interest, aimed at national welfare rather than pure logic. [Petty and the Historiography of Economic Thought]: The authors analyze Petty's position in economic history, critiquing the tendency to view him solely through modern theoretical lenses or as a mere 'mercantilist' responder to crises. Using Schumpeter's concept of 'Quasi-Systems,' the text explores how Petty's work bridges the gap between policy recommendations and systematic economic analysis, despite his lack of participation in specific debates like the East India trade. [The Legacy of Petty: Political Arithmetic and the Economic Cycle]: This section traces Petty's influence on subsequent economic thought, focusing on two main streams: the development of empirical national income analysis by Gregory King and Charles Davenant, and the theoretical lineage leading to Physiocracy. It highlights how Petty's ideas on surplus and the economic cycle were transmitted through Cantillon to Quesnay, forming a crucial sequence in the history of economic analysis. [Bibliography and References]: A comprehensive list of primary and secondary sources cited in the text, including works by Aspromourgos, Cantillon, Hull, Petty, and Schumpeter. [Curriculum Vitae of Sir William Petty]: A detailed chronological biography of William Petty (1623–1687), covering his education in France and the Netherlands, his medical career at Oxford, his massive land surveying project in Ireland (the Down Survey), and his scientific inventions like the double-hulled ship. [List of Economic Writings and Selected Literature]: A catalog of Sir William Petty's economic publications, including posthumous editions and disputed authorships, followed by a list of selected secondary literature for further study. [Chronological Table of Economic Thinkers (Plato to Thünen)]: A comparative timeline placing William Petty alongside major figures in the history of philosophy and economics, from antiquity (Plato, Aristotle) through the classical era (Smith, Ricardo) to the mid-19th century (Marx, Mill). [About the Authors]: Biographical sketches of the academic contributors to the volume: A.W. Bob Coats, Tony Aspromourgos, Denis P. O'Brien, and Bertram Schefold, detailing their research focus and academic positions.
An introduction to the 'Classics of National Economy' collection, outlining its goal to make significant economic texts from various eras (mercantilist, classical, neoclassical) accessible through bibliophile reprints and commentaries. It emphasizes the tension between economic analysis, ideology, and policy interests in the development of the science.
Read full textTitle page and publication details for the commentary volume on William Petty's 'Political Arithmetick'. Lists the contributing authors and provides copyright information for the 1992 edition.
Read full textBertram Schefold provides a comprehensive introduction to William Petty, describing him as a brilliant and adventurous figure in economic history. The essay covers Petty's life—from his medical studies and role as a surveyor in Cromwellian Ireland to his founding role in the Royal Society. Schefold analyzes Petty's methodology of 'Number, Weight, and Measure,' his early attempts at calculating national wealth (social product), and his controversial proposals for population transfer. The text explores Petty's influence on classical economics, his proto-labor theory of value, and his views on money, interest, and state-led employment programs (including the 'pyramid' example later cited by Keynes). It also discusses Petty's role in establishing market homogeneity through quality standards and his position as a transitional figure between mercantilism and classical liberalism.
Read full textA collection of historical and modern testimonials regarding William Petty's personality, work, and methodology. Includes contemporary accounts from Aubrey, Evelyn, and Pepys describing his character and physical appearance, as well as academic assessments from Schumpeter, Marx, and Hull regarding his contributions to statistics, national accounting, and the labor theory of value. The section highlights his versatility as a physician, surveyor, and inventor.
Read full textDenis P. O'Brien provides a biographical sketch of Petty, detailing his education with Jesuits, his association with Thomas Hobbes, and his significant role in the 'Down Survey' of Ireland. The essay then focuses on the 'Political Arithmetick' (1690), explaining its political purpose as a response to English fears of French dominance. O'Brien critiques Petty's use of numbers as a rhetorical tool, noting his occasional carelessness with data while praising his innovative use of ratios and inequalities to compare national strengths. The section also touches on Petty's mercantilist views, his Hobbesian state-centrism, and his insights into the velocity of money and taxation.
Read full textTony Aspromourgos and A.W. Coats introduce Petty's 'Political Arithmetick' as a foundational text for the classical tradition. They argue that Petty was an idiosyncratic genius who moved beyond simple mercantilist tropes like the balance of trade. This section traces the development of Petty's thought from his early observations in Holland and his 'Treatise of Taxes' (1662) to the formalization of 'Political Arithmetic' in the 1670s. It defines the method as the use of 'Number, Weight, or Measure' to establish objective foundations for statecraft, contrasting it with subjective 'opinions' or 'superlatives.'
Read full textThis section examines William Petty's life within the turbulent 17th-century English history, highlighting his survival through the Restoration and his intellectual roots in the Hartlib Circle. It discusses the transition from 'Political Anatomy' to 'Political Arithmetick' and argues that Petty's work was a unique blend of practical administration and theoretical interest, aimed at national welfare rather than pure logic.
Read full textThe authors analyze Petty's position in economic history, critiquing the tendency to view him solely through modern theoretical lenses or as a mere 'mercantilist' responder to crises. Using Schumpeter's concept of 'Quasi-Systems,' the text explores how Petty's work bridges the gap between policy recommendations and systematic economic analysis, despite his lack of participation in specific debates like the East India trade.
Read full textThis section traces Petty's influence on subsequent economic thought, focusing on two main streams: the development of empirical national income analysis by Gregory King and Charles Davenant, and the theoretical lineage leading to Physiocracy. It highlights how Petty's ideas on surplus and the economic cycle were transmitted through Cantillon to Quesnay, forming a crucial sequence in the history of economic analysis.
Read full textA comprehensive list of primary and secondary sources cited in the text, including works by Aspromourgos, Cantillon, Hull, Petty, and Schumpeter.
Read full textA detailed chronological biography of William Petty (1623–1687), covering his education in France and the Netherlands, his medical career at Oxford, his massive land surveying project in Ireland (the Down Survey), and his scientific inventions like the double-hulled ship.
Read full textA catalog of Sir William Petty's economic publications, including posthumous editions and disputed authorships, followed by a list of selected secondary literature for further study.
Read full textA comparative timeline placing William Petty alongside major figures in the history of philosophy and economics, from antiquity (Plato, Aristotle) through the classical era (Smith, Ricardo) to the mid-19th century (Marx, Mill).
Read full textBiographical sketches of the academic contributors to the volume: A.W. Bob Coats, Tony Aspromourgos, Denis P. O'Brien, and Bertram Schefold, detailing their research focus and academic positions.
Read full text