William Petty

Sir
William Petty
Sir William Petty, mezzotint by John Smith after John Closterman
Born(1623-05-26)26 May 1623
Died16 December 1687(1687-12-16) (aged 64)
London, England
Era17th-century philosophy
(Modern philosophy)
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolClassical economics
Main interests
Political philosophy, ethics, economics, medicine
Notable ideas
Division of labour, fiscal theory, monetary theory, national income accounting, economic statistics

Sir William Petty FRS (26 May 1623 – 16 December 1687) was an English economist, physician, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to survey the land that was to be confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers. He also remained a significant figure under King Charles II and King James II, as did many others who had served Cromwell.

Petty was also a scientist, inventor, and merchant, a charter member of the Royal Society, and briefly a member of the Parliament of England. However, he is best remembered for his theories on economics[1][2][3] and his methods of political arithmetic. He was knighted in 1661.

  1. ^ Bevan, Wilson Lloyd (1894). "Sir William Petty: A Study in English Economic Literature". Publications of the American Economic Association. 9 (4): 13–102. ISSN 1049-7498.
  2. ^ Hull, Charles H. (1900). "Petty's Place in the History of Economic Theory". The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 14 (3): 307–340. doi:10.2307/1882563. ISSN 0033-5533.
  3. ^ Fox, Adam (2009). "Sir William Petty, Ireland, and the Making of a Political Economist, 1653-87". The Economic History Review. 62 (2): 388–404. ISSN 0013-0117.

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