Sir William Petty's Influence On Education

Throughout time, the human knowledge of economics has evolved and expanded. The discovery of this knowledge has been expedited, in many cases, due to a handful of brilliant minds. The work that these minds have contributed has helped to progress the human race, and helped further our understanding of economics. William Petty is one of those minds. Sir William Petty was an English economist, physician, and surveyor whose resume would impress even the most qualified. Petty began his life at the bottom of the barrel and worked up to the top, even becoming a knight along the way. William Petty’s influences were rooted in the teachings of Thomas Hobbes and Francis Bacon, and his views on natural law are clearly reflected in his work. Sir William

Petty was born into a poor family, his father worked as a cloth maker. Petty lived to be sixty-three years old, which is very impressive given the average life expectancy from birth was only around thirty-six years in the United Kingdom in the year 1688 (Zijdeman). After successfully working for the English government as a surveyor and the lead army physician, Petty was recognized for his accomplishments. William Petty became known as Sir William Petty after being knighted by King Charles II in 1662 (Columbia University Press). Petty was also able to travel far across Europe and experience many different cultures. Petty often learned from observing how certain processes are completed in foreign nations. Petty lived an interesting life, and was given the opportunity to meet many influential people of the period. Without the encounters and teachings from other thinkers Petty could have never developed his ideas in the way he

One of my favorite quotes by Petty that I found while researching him goes as follows “’Labour is the father and active beginning of wealth, as the land is its mother.’” (Wilkinson 312). The idea that work is what lays the seed to wealth is something I agree with, although I did not know it before reading Petty’s work. To create anything of significance, let alone wealth, requires action and effort, this was not lost on Petty. The saying “the devil is in the details”, is one I believe that Petty would be a strong supporter of. One thing I noticed time and time again looking through his works was that Petty paid immaculate attention to detail. When talking about factors that affect a market Petty even accounted for “Catholics not eating eggs on fasting days, Jews refusing to eat pork, people avoiding frogs or mushrooms on the grounds that they are thought to be harmful” (Wilkinson 313). By making sure to account for even the smallest variable Petty further solidified the accuracy of his work. I, like Petty, enjoy discovering the subtle details and inner workings of a new subject. Knowing how something works, down to the finest nuisances, is important in maintaining accuracy, especially when it comes to