TABLE IX.-Ratios of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in certain Departments, showing the extreme Birth and Death-Rates, in the Groups of Departments constituting the several Divisions. TABLE X.-Ratios of Births, Deaths, and Marriages to Population in England and Wales, France, and Belgium. Per 1,000 Inhabitants. England and Wales. France. Belgium. Births. Deaths. Marriages. Births. Deaths. Marriages. Births. Deaths. Marriages. TABLE XI.—Births to One Marriage. The Divisions are Arranged in the Order of the Ratios for 1855-56-57, beginning with the Highest. TABLE XIII.-Showing the Departments comprised in each Division. FLANDERS.-Departments: Nord, Pas de Caluis, Somme, Aisne, Ardennes. WESTERN NORMANDY AND MAINE.-Departments Calvados, Manche, Orne, WESTERN BRITTANY.-Departments: Ille and Vilaine, Morbihan, Cotes du Nord, LOWER LOIRE.-Departments: Loire Inferieure, Maine and Loire, Vendee, Deux UPPER SEINE.-Departments: Meuse, Marne, Haute Marne, Aube, Yonne, Cote MIDDLE LOIRE.-Departments: Loiret, Loir and Cher, Indre and Loir, Indre, T ORRAINE, &C.-Departments: Moselle, Meurthe, Vosges, Haute Saone, Doubs. ALSACE.-Departments: Bas Rhin, Haut Rhin. LOWER SAONE.-Departments: Jura, Saone and Loire, Ain, Rhone, Isere. MEDITERRANEAN COAST.-Departments: Var, Bouches du Rhone, Vaucluse, AUVERGNE, &c.-Departments: Haute Vienne, Creuse, Allier, Puy de Dome, LOWER GARONNE.-Departments: Charente, Charente Inferieure, Gironde, ADOUR.-Departments: Landes, Basses Pyrenees, Hautes Pyrenees. UPPER GARONNE.-Departments: Tarn and Garonne, Tarn, Haut Garonne, CORSICA.-Department: Corse. This Paper, by Professor Jevons, was read in Section F of the 1. The following paper briefly describes the nature of a Theory of Economy which will reduce the main problem of this science to a mathematical form. Economy, indeed, being concerned with quantities, has always of necessity been mathematical in its subject, but the strict and general statement, and the easy comprehension of its quantitative laws has been prevented by a neglect of those powerful methods of expression which have been applied to most other sciences with so much success. It is not to be supposed, however, that because economy becomes mathematical in form, it will, therefore, become a matter of rigorous calculation. Its mathematical principles may become formal and certain, while its individual data remain as inexact as ever: 2. A true theory of economy can only be attained by going back to the great springs of human action-the feelings of pleasure and pain. A large part of such feelings arise periodically from the ordinary wants and desires of body or mind, and from the painful exertion we are continually prompted to undergo that we may satisfy our wants. Economy investigates the relations of ordinary pleasures and pains thus arising, and it has a wide enough field of inquiry. But economy does not treat of all human motives. There are motives nearly always present with us, arising from conscience, compassion, or from some moral or religious source, which economy cannot and does not pretend to treat. These will remain to us as outstanding and disturbing forces; they must be treated, if at all, by other appropriate branches of knowledge. 3. We always treat feelings as being capable of more or less, and I now hold that they are quantities capable of scientific treatment. Our estimation of the comparative amounts of feeling is performed in the act of choice or volition. Our choice of one course out of two or more proves that, in our estimation, this course promises the greatest balance of pleasure. When there is a large overbalancing force on one side, indeed, the estimation of the amount of this balance is no doubt very rude; but all the critical points of the theory will depend on that nice estimation of the opposing motives which we make when these are nearly equal, and we hesitate between em. |
