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Trust in Numbers
The Pursuit of Objectivity in Science and Public Life
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Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2020
About this book
A foundational work on historical and social studies of quantification
What accounts for the prestige of quantitative methods? The usual answer is that quantification is desirable in social investigation as a result of its successes in science. Trust in Numbers questions whether such success in the study of stars, molecules, or cells should be an attractive model for research on human societies, and examines why the natural sciences are highly quantitative in the first place. Theodore Porter argues that a better understanding of the attractions of quantification in business, government, and social research brings a fresh perspective to its role in psychology, physics, and medicine. Quantitative rigor is not inherent in science but arises from political and social pressures, and objectivity derives its impetus from cultural contexts. In a new preface, the author sheds light on the current infatuation with quantitative methods, particularly at the intersection of science and bureaucracy.
Author / Editor information
Theodore M. Porter is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles. His books include The Rise of Statistical Thinking and Genetics in the Madhouse (both Princeton).
Reviews
"A closely reasoned, densely written historical account of how nonscientific people came to use numbers for political purposes."—Rudy Rucker, Scientific American
"Porter delivers a fine, scholarly account of how numerical measurement is used both to standardise results and to communicate them unambiguously."—Jon Turney, New Scientist
"Compelling, beautifully written, and makes an important contribution to our understanding of one of the most fundamental features of modernity: the rise of quantification."—Contemporary Sociology
"A highly original series of historical and philosophical reflections."—M. Norton Wise, British Journal for the History of Science
"Porter delivers a fine, scholarly account of how numerical measurement is used both to standardise results and to communicate them unambiguously."—Jon Turney, New Scientist
"Compelling, beautifully written, and makes an important contribution to our understanding of one of the most fundamental features of modernity: the rise of quantification."—Contemporary Sociology
"A highly original series of historical and philosophical reflections."—M. Norton Wise, British Journal for the History of Science
Topics
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Frontmatter
i -
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Contents
v -
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Preface to the New Edition
vii -
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Preface
xix -
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Acknowledgments
xxv -
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INTRODUCTION. Cultures of Objectivity
3 - Part I .POWER IN NUMBERS
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CHAPTER ONE. A World of Artifice
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CHAPTER TWO. How Social Numbers Are Made Valid
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CHAPTER THREE. Economic Measurement and the Values of Science
49 -
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CHAPTER FOUR. The Political Philosophy of Quantification
73 - PART II. TECHNOLOGIES OF TRUST
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CHAPTER FIVE. Experts against Objectivity: Accountants and Actuaries
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CHAPTER SIX. French State Engineers and the Ambiguities of Technocracy
114 -
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CHAPTER SEVEN. U.S. Army Engineers and the Rise of Cost-Benefit Analysis
148 - PART III. POLITICAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES
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CHAPTER EIGHT. Objectivity and the Politics of Disciplines
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CHAPTER NINE. Is Science Made by Communities?
217 -
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Notes
233 -
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Bibliography
269 -
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Index
303
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
September 7, 2020
eBook ISBN:
9780691210544
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook ISBN:
9780691210544
Keywords for this book
Calculation; Science; Statistic; Cost–benefit analysis; Measurement; Scientist; Actuary; Accounting; Mathematics; Quantification (science); Social science; Politics; Credibility; Statistician; Insurance; Bureaucrat; Economics; Probability; Theory; Reason; Scientific method; Engineering; Public Knowledge; Prediction; Institution; Political economy; Physician; Subjectivity; Insider; Quantity; Criticism; Quantitative research; Employment; Political culture; Ideology; Result; Economist; Technology; Neoclassical economics; Consideration; Distrust; Legislation; Life insurance; Positivism; Uncertainty; Pure mathematics; Elitism; Publication; Psychology; Writing; Rhetoric; Inference; Public utility; Political science; Experiment; Institute of Actuaries; Explanation; Textbook; Career; Disadvantage; Physicist; Salary; Philosopher; Tax; Negotiation; Natural science; Accountant; Phenomenon; Archives nationales (France); Statistics
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
