Gottfried Achenwall a Man of Numbers
Gottfried Achenwall was an 18th-century German philosopher, historian, and statistician known for his contributions to statistics and political science. He was born on October 20, 1719, in Elbing, Prussia (now Elbląg, Poland), and he died on May 1, 1772, in Göttingen, Germany.
Achenwall is particularly noted for his work in developing and popularizing statistics, which was a relatively new field at the time. He coined the term "statistics" in its modern sense and is often credited with establishing statistics as a distinct discipline. His most influential work was "Staatliche und ökonomische Nachrichten von der Stadt Göttingen" (Statistical and Economic News from the City of Göttingen), published in 1749. In this work, he collected and analyzed data related to the city of Göttingen, covering population, economics, and agriculture. Achenwall's emphasis on empirical data and systematic data collection laid the groundwork for developing official statistics in Germany.
Achenwall's contributions to statistics helped shape how governments and scholars gathered and analyzed data, particularly in demographics, economics, and social sciences. His work was instrumental in advancing statistical methods in policymaking and administration.
In addition to his work in statistics, Achenwall was a professor of natural law and public law at the University of Göttingen, where he also contributed to the political science field.
In summary, Gottfried Achenwall was influential in developing statistics, coining the term, and advancing systematic data collection and analysis. His work had a lasting impact on statistics and political science.
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