Comments on: Chapter 3 The Bourgeoisie Measures http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/ Deirdre McCloskey Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:33:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: pawel chrobak http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/comment-page-1/#comment-188 pawel chrobak Tue, 08 May 2007 15:05:34 +0000 http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/#comment-188 I know that your focusing your argument on England but bringing in Shakespear and his ideas is sort of irrelevant. But i do like the explanation that you use right after those quotes. I know that your focusing your argument on England but bringing in Shakespear and his ideas is sort of irrelevant. But i do like the explanation that you use right after those quotes.

]]> By: Ryan Larkin http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/comment-page-1/#comment-155 Ryan Larkin Tue, 01 May 2007 12:28:47 +0000 http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/#comment-155 Although you do lend credit to long past civilizations using numbers I think you have short changed their abilities. A civilization like rome and greece that develops a modern idea of Geometry, algebra, etc. had already developed much the same skills 15th - 17th century mathematicians are applying to statistical analysis. The question is why if they had the same amount of skill, technology had not quite tipped the scales as of yet, did the ancient greeks and romans not seem to analyse their findings. They possed massive lists containing accounting records of stock, but very little evidence survives to indicate that they consitantly attempted to compare for example one years information with the next. I disagree hear that numbers as rhetoric could be a catalyst for the ideology that leads to middle class economy. It appears that all of the necesarry rhetoric and skill already existed, instead it appears that the new ideology spurred the new rhetoric, or perhaps it is that the new rhetoric is actually something that had already occurred, but had been forgotten with the fall of the west and the rise of the east to power. Although you do lend credit to long past civilizations using numbers I think you have short changed their abilities. A civilization like rome and greece that develops a modern idea of Geometry, algebra, etc. had already developed much the same skills 15th – 17th century mathematicians are applying to statistical analysis. The question is why if they had the same amount of skill, technology had not quite tipped the scales as of yet, did the ancient greeks and romans not seem to analyse their findings. They possed massive lists containing accounting records of stock, but very little evidence survives to indicate that they consitantly attempted to compare for example one years information with the next. I disagree hear that numbers as rhetoric could be a catalyst for the ideology that leads to middle class economy. It appears that all of the necesarry rhetoric and skill already existed, instead it appears that the new ideology spurred the new rhetoric, or perhaps it is that the new rhetoric is actually something that had already occurred, but had been forgotten with the fall of the west and the rise of the east to power.

]]> By: Deirdre McCloskey http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/comment-page-1/#comment-140 Deirdre McCloskey Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:50:52 +0000 http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/#comment-140 Paul: Well, sure. I think the joke will be more persusive when I get in the passage in Dickens Hard Times in which accurate counting is spoofed. Falstaff cares not a whit for accuracy, whereas our bourgeois heroes do---sometimes equally foolishly. I am actually rather uncertain about the truth of the chapter, especially on the matter of Arabic vs. Roman numerals. I need to rummage around more in the serious scholarship on the matter before putting it to bed. Paul: Well, sure. I think the joke will be more persusive when I get in the passage in Dickens Hard Times in which accurate counting is spoofed. Falstaff cares not a whit for accuracy, whereas our bourgeois heroes do—sometimes equally foolishly.

I am actually rather uncertain about the truth of the chapter, especially on the matter of Arabic vs. Roman numerals. I need to rummage around more in the serious scholarship on the matter before putting it to bed.

]]> By: Paul Boucher http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Paul Boucher Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:31:34 +0000 http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/#comment-111 Could not Falstaff's innumeracy show him to be a boastful fool, though a sympathetic one, especially since the audience is in on the gag? This chapter is overall straightforward and persuasive. Could not Falstaff’s innumeracy show him to be a boastful fool, though a sympathetic one, especially since the audience is in on the gag? This chapter is overall straightforward and persuasive.

]]> By: Allen Tanttari http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/comment-page-1/#comment-106 Allen Tanttari Tue, 24 Apr 2007 01:56:24 +0000 http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/weblog/2007/04/17/chapter-3/#comment-106 Your evidence here seems to provide great strength for your argument. I like the example of your car in comparing to living downtown. I was thinking it takes away from the just of the chapter. But on the other hand it breaks up some of your examples on the dominace of England and France. Your evidence here seems to provide great strength for your argument. I like the example of your car in comparing to living downtown. I was thinking it takes away from the just of the chapter. But on the other hand it breaks up some of your examples on the dominace of England and France.

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