A World Ruled by Number by Margaret Schabas

A World Ruled by Number by Margaret Schabas

If any single characteristic differentiates current, neoclassical economics from the classical economics of Adam Smith and David Ricardo, it is the use of mathematics. Pointing to the critical role of William Stanley Jevons (1835-1882), Margaret Schabas demonstrates that the advent of mathematical economics in late Victorian England resulted more from new currents in logic and the philosophy of science than from problems specific to the classical theory of value and distribution. Jevons's Principles of Science (1874) was the first book to take issue with John Stuart Mill's faith in inductive reasoning, to assimilate George Boole's mathematical logic, and to discern many of the limitations that beset scientific inquiry. Together with a renewed appreciation for Bentham's utility calculus, these philosophical insights served to convince Jevons and his followers that the economic world is fundamentally quantitative and thus amenable to mathematical analysis. Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

"Schabas has argued cogently that Jevons's economic theory was shaped by his views on logic and scientific method, and A World Ruled by Number constitutes a strong demonstration that the investigation of the development of economics gains much from a broadened perspective"--Economics and Philosophy

Schabas, Margaret: - Margaret Schabas is professor of philosophy at the University of British Columbia and the author of A World Ruled by Number and The Natural Origins of Economics. With Carl Wennerlind, she previously co-edited David Hume's Political Economy.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780691634807
ISBN 10	0691634807
Title	A World Ruled by Number
Author	Margaret Schabas
Series	Princeton Legacy Library
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Princeton University Press
Year published	2016-04-19
Number of pages	206
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.