Statistics in Britain, 1865-1930: The Social Construction of Scientific Knowledge

by Donald Angus MacKenzie

This rigorous and well-documented book makes a powerful and fascinating contribution to the history and sociology of Science. Its subject is the crucial period in the development of the modern theory of statistics, when the 'British School' - like Galton, Pearson, Fisher, Yule, and Gosset - turned the embryonic discipline into an established and important scientific field, introducing such concepts as regression, correlation, chi-square testing, t-test, and method of maximum likelihood. It contributes to Sociology also, because Galton to Galton, Pearson and Fisher, all convinced eugenists, statistical theory and method was envisaged as an instrument for social change. Eugenics is shown to have played an important role in motivating their work, thus reflecting the interests of the professional middle class in late Victorian and Edwardian Britain. This is given special consideration in the light of the famous controversy between the 'Biometric School' and the Mendelians.

Genres: History

306 pages, hardback

First published April 1, 1981

About the author

Donald Angus MacKenzie FBA FRSE FAcSS (b.1950) is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

His work constitutes a crucial contribution to the field of science and technology studies. He has also developed research in the field of social studies of finance. He has undertaken widely cited work on the history of statistics, eugenics, nuclear weapons, computing and finance, among other things. Works

Reviews

[Joseph Bronski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author is a Marxist and inserts Marxist tics but it's not that bad. Pretty detailed and sections are well-labeled. Writing was not too dry or redundant. Not a bad book for the history of eugenics in Britain. No scientific content however.