William Petty Philosopher

Sir William Petty FRS (26 May 1623 – 16 December 1687) was an English economist, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to survey the land that was to be confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers. He also managed to remain prominent under King Charles II and King James II, as did many others who had served Cromwell. He was Member of the Parliament of England briefly and was also a scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur, and was a charter member of the Royal Society. It is for his theories on economics and his methods of political arithmetic that he is best remembered, however, and to him is attributed the philosophy of 'laissez-faire' in relation to government activity. He was knighted in 1661. He was the great-grandfather of Prime Minister William Petty Fitzmaurice, 2nd Earl of Shelburne and 1st Marquess of Lansdowne.

Personal facts

Birth date	May 26, 1623
Birth place	Romsey
Date of death	December 16, 1687
Place of death	London
Era	17th-century philosophy
Main interest	Economics Ethics Political philosophy

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Philosopher

influenced	Adam Smith Karl Marx John Maynard Keynes Bernard Mandeville
influenced by	Aristotle Francis Bacon Thomas Hobbes
notable idea	Division of labour Monetary economics Measures of national income and output Fiscal policy Economic statistics
philosophical school	Classical economics