of Edinhurgh, Session 1883-84, 
943 
An Analysis of the Principles of Economics. By 
Patrick Geddes. 
Head 17th March, 7th April, 16th June, 7th July 1884). 
Introduction. 
§ 1. In a paper * read nearly three years ago to this Society, I 
have attempted 
(1) To review the existing state of statistics ; 
(2) To define the nature of the subject, and its relation to history 
and the sciences ; 
(3) Broadly to group and co-ordinate the whole body of existing 
and possible statistics, in relation to the respective 
statistical sciences ; and 
(4) In accordance with the preliminary sciences to frame a 
classification embracing all existing and possible socio- 
logical statistics. Moreover, 
(5) This was shown to involve, or rather actually to constitute, 
an aspect of the pressing problem of the systematisation 
of the literature of economics, of which 
(6) The existing schools were briefly criticised ; 
(7) The relation of the conceptions of scientific economics to 
practical economics was outlined ; 
(8) As also their relation to ethics. 
The present paper proposes to deal with more attractive aspects 
of economic science, and although inevitably to some extent also 
critical, is primarily of systematic and constructive aim. 
§ 2. In the domain of all the studies which directly concern man 
— in biology and psychology, in ethics, politics, and economics 
alike — it has often been pointed out how theoretic conceptions are 
subtly, instinctively, almost inextricably interwoven with practical 
considerations. Economic literature is especially unfortunate in 
this respect ; in many authors hardly a sentence is without this 
double effect. To eliminate then, and reserve for separate subse- 
* “On the Classification of Statistics and its Results,” Proc. Roy. Soc. 
Edin., 1881 ; also published separately by A. & C. Black, Edinburgh. 
