Encyclopedia, Difference between revisions of "John Neville Keynes" - New World
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| − | '''John Neville Keynes''' ( | + | '''John Neville Keynes''' (August 31, 1852 – November 15, 1949) was a [[Britain|British]] [[philosophy|philosopher]] and [[economics|economist]]. He is famous for his work on non-categorical [[syllogism]], and his attempt to unify the methodologies of the [[Austrian School]] and the German [[Historical school of economics]]. Keynes studied at several schools including [[University College]], [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]], [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] and Pembroke College. He wrote books such as ''Studies and Exercises in Formal Logic'' and ''Scope and Method of Political Economy'', the last of which earned him the degree of Doctor of Sciences. He retired in 1925 after holding the position of Registrar in the governing body of The [[University of Cambridge|University of Cambridge]] for 15 years. |
| − | |||
== Life == | == Life == | ||
| + | '''John Neville Keynes''' was born on August 31, 1852 in Salisbury, Wiltshire in [[England]]. He attended Amersham Hall School, where he showed an aptitude for [[classics]] and [[mathematics]]. In 1869 he won Gilchrist Scholarship to [[University College]], London, the school specialized to teach Nonconformist students, who were excluded by the Religious Test Acts from the universities of [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] and [[University of Oxford|Oxford]]. After receiving his B.A. with honors in 1870, Keynes somehow managed to enroll at the University of Cambridge, in his third attempt. He was awarded a mathematical scholarship to Pembroke College. | ||
| − | + | Keynes eventually decided to switch his major to [[Moral Sciences]], and graduated with a B.Sc. in 1875 and an M.A. in 1876. The same year he became a fellow of Pembroke, and of University College, London, coaching in [[logic]] and [[political economy]]. Influenced by his former teacher, [[Alfred Marshall]], Keynes became interested in [[economics]], but still remained focused primarily on logic. | |
| − | |||
| − | Keynes eventually decided to switch his major to [[Moral Sciences]], and graduated with | ||
| − | In March 1881 Keynes was appointed Assistant Secretary to the Local Examinations and Lectures Syndicate, and in 1892, he became | + | In March 1881 Keynes was appointed Assistant Secretary to the Local Examinations and Lectures Syndicate, and in 1892, he became Secretary, holding the post until 1910. In 1884, he was appointed University Lecturer in Moral Sciences, a position which he held until 1911. He also served as Chairman of the Special Board for Moral Sciences (1906-12) and as Chairman of the Special Board for Economics and Politics (1908-20). |
| − | In 1882 Keynes married [[Florence Ada Brown]], | + | In 1882 Keynes married [[Florence Ada Brown]], daughter of a prosperous [[Congregationalist]] family. The couple settled down just on the outskirts of Cambridge, where they bought a house. Their first son [[John Maynard Keynes|Maynard]] was born in 1883. They had two other children, Geoffrey born in 1887 and Margaret in 1890. Florence later became a prominent social reformer and the first female Councilor of Cambridge Borough Council, and its Mayor in 1932. |
| − | In 1884 Keynes published ''Studies and Exercises in Formal Logic'', based on the lectures he gave to his students. The book became an important [[pedagogy|pedagogical]] textbook in formal | + | In 1884, Keynes published ''Studies and Exercises in Formal Logic'', based on the lectures he gave to his students. The book became an important [[pedagogy|pedagogical]] textbook in formal logic, going through four editions. In 1888, Alfred Marshall tried to persuade Keynes to accept the position of a lecturer in economics at the University of Oxford, but Keynes refused. He published in 1891 the ''Scope and Method of Political Economy'', the work which earned him the degree of the Doctor of Science, awarded to him the same year. |
In 1892, Keynes became a Member of the Council of the Senate, the governing body of the University of Cambridge. He was elected as Registrar in 1910, and held that office until 1925, the year he retired. | In 1892, Keynes became a Member of the Council of the Senate, the governing body of the University of Cambridge. He was elected as Registrar in 1910, and held that office until 1925, the year he retired. | ||
| Line 27: | Line 25: | ||
==Work== | ==Work== | ||
| − | === | + | ===Philosophy=== |
| − | Keynes published his first book in 1884, under the title ''Studies and Exercises in Formal Logic''. The book was based on his lectures given to his students, and was full of interesting and ingenious problems in | + | Keynes published his first book in 1884, under the title ''Studies and Exercises in Formal Logic''. The book was based on his lectures given to his students, and was full of interesting and ingenious problems in [[formal logic]] for the students to work on. He defended formal logic, in its pure form, against the influences of [[philosophy|philosophical]] [[logic]] of [[Kant]] or [[Hegel]], and empirical logic of [[John Stuart Mill]]. |
| − | Keynes also elaborated on the concept of [[non-categorical | + | Keynes also elaborated on the concept of [[non-categorical syllogism]], a form of logical inference which uses whole propositions as its units. While [[categorical syllogism]]s use [[premise]]s and look at their internal structure to make a conclusion, non-categorical syllogisms deal with the values of proposition in relation to other propositions. Propositions are viewed as single, non-decomposable units, with their internal true value. Non-categorical syllogisms can be either hypothetical or disjunctive. This form of syllogistic is traceable to the [[Stoic]] logicians but was not fully appreciated as a separate branch of until the work of Keynes. |
| − | === | + | ===Economics=== |
| − | Keynes was a close friend and former student of [[Alfred Marshall]], an icon of [[Great Britain|British]] [[economics]] for half a century. Keynes however | + | Keynes was a close friend and former student of [[Alfred Marshall]], an icon of [[Great Britain|British]] [[economics]] for half a century. Keynes however did not strictly follow Marshall’s ideas, and it was said that he disappointed Marshall by failing to live up to his expectations. |
| − | Keynes published his first greater work in 1891, under the title ''Scope and Method of Political Economy''. In it he tried to find the solution for the [[methodology|methodological]] difference which had stirred much conflict in the 1870s and 1880s. At | + | Keynes published his first greater work in 1891, under the title ''Scope and Method of Political Economy''. In it he tried to find the solution for the [[methodology|methodological]] difference which had stirred much conflict in the 1870s and 1880s. At that time, [[German language|German]]-speaking world was engaged in the ''Methodenstreit'' ("battle of methods"), between the [[Austrian School]] of economics led by [[Carl Menger]], and the [[Germany|German]] [[Historical school of economics]] led by [[Gustav Schmoller]]. The Austrians insisted on a [[deductive reasoning|deductive]] approach and stressed the importance of pure theory, while Schmoller's German group emphasized the importance of [[inductive reasoning|inductive]] studies. |
| − | Keynes adopted a syncretistic position. He believed that the “''Methodenstreit''” could be solved by taking both inductive and deductive methods into consideration, and making a “unified” model. He claimed that both induction and deduction were required to understand how economy functions. Inductive reasoning provided the general premises needed for the deduction to take place, and deduction created general laws which had to be tested by inductive procedures. | + | Keynes adopted a syncretistic position. He believed that the “''Methodenstreit''” could be solved by taking both inductive and deductive methods into consideration, and making a “unified” model. He claimed that both induction and deduction were required to understand how the [[economy]] functions. Inductive reasoning provided the general premises needed for the deduction to take place, and deduction created general laws which had to be tested by inductive procedures. |
| − | Keynes | + | Keynes divided economics into: |
#"positive economics" (the study of what is, and the way the economy works), | #"positive economics" (the study of what is, and the way the economy works), | ||
| − | #"normative economics" (the study of what the economy should be), and | + | #"normative economics" (the study of what the economy should be), and |
| − | #"applied economics" (the art of economics, or economic policy) | + | #"applied economics" (the art of economics, or economic policy). |
The art of economics relates the lessons learned in positive economics to the normative goals determined in normative economics. It generally means that the goal of applied economics is to find how to come from positive to normative economics. | The art of economics relates the lessons learned in positive economics to the normative goals determined in normative economics. It generally means that the goal of applied economics is to find how to come from positive to normative economics. | ||
| Line 48: | Line 46: | ||
==Legacy== | ==Legacy== | ||
| − | John Neville Keynes was a noted [[economics|economist]] and | + | John Neville Keynes was a noted [[economics|economist]] and [[philosophy|philosopher]], who is unfairly forgotten today. His work in philosophy remains mostly noted for his elaboration on [[non-categorical syllogisms]], while in the area of economics he tried to synthesize deductive and inductive approaches to economics in order to bring together the [[Austrian School]] of [[Carl Menger]] and the [[Historical school of economics|historical school]] of [[Gustav Schmoller]]. |
John Neville Keynes is mostly remembered today however, as the father of his famous children: | John Neville Keynes is mostly remembered today however, as the father of his famous children: | ||
| Line 69: | Line 67: | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| − | * [http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/digital_guides/economists_papers_series_two_john_neville_keynes/Editorial-Introduction.aspx Economist Papers - John Neville Keynes (1852-1949)] – Collection of Keynes’s papers and his biography on Adam Matthew Publications website | + | * [http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/digital_guides/economists_papers_series_two_john_neville_keynes/Editorial-Introduction.aspx Economist Papers - John Neville Keynes (1852-1949)] – Collection of Keynes’s papers and his biography on Adam Matthew Publications website Retrieved June 24, 2007. |
| − | * [http://www.bookrags.com/research/keynes-eoph/ John Neville Keynes] – Biography on BookRags.com | + | * [http://www.bookrags.com/research/keynes-eoph/ John Neville Keynes] – Biography on BookRags.com Retrieved June 24, 2007. |
| − | * [http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/keynesjn/Scope.pdf The Scope and Method of Political Economy] – Full-text Keynes’s work from 1891 | + | * [http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/keynesjn/Scope.pdf The Scope and Method of Political Economy] – Full-text Keynes’s work from 1891 Retrieved June 24, 2007. |
| − | |||
{{Credits|John_Neville_Keynes|104002454|}} | {{Credits|John_Neville_Keynes|104002454|}} | ||
Revision as of 19:28, 24 June 2007
John Neville Keynes (August 31, 1852 – November 15, 1949) was a British philosopher and economist. He is famous for his work on non-categorical syllogism, and his attempt to unify the methodologies of the Austrian School and the German Historical school of economics. Keynes studied at several schools including University College, Cambridge, Oxford and Pembroke College. He wrote books such as Studies and Exercises in Formal Logic and Scope and Method of Political Economy, the last of which earned him the degree of Doctor of Sciences. He retired in 1925 after holding the position of Registrar in the governing body of The University of Cambridge for 15 years.
Life
John Neville Keynes was born on August 31, 1852 in Salisbury, Wiltshire in England. He attended Amersham Hall School, where he showed an aptitude for classics and mathematics. In 1869 he won Gilchrist Scholarship to University College, London, the school specialized to teach Nonconformist students, who were excluded by the Religious Test Acts from the universities of Cambridge and Oxford. After receiving his B.A. with honors in 1870, Keynes somehow managed to enroll at the University of Cambridge, in his third attempt. He was awarded a mathematical scholarship to Pembroke College.
Keynes eventually decided to switch his major to Moral Sciences, and graduated with a B.Sc. in 1875 and an M.A. in 1876. The same year he became a fellow of Pembroke, and of University College, London, coaching in logic and political economy. Influenced by his former teacher, Alfred Marshall, Keynes became interested in economics, but still remained focused primarily on logic.
In March 1881 Keynes was appointed Assistant Secretary to the Local Examinations and Lectures Syndicate, and in 1892, he became Secretary, holding the post until 1910. In 1884, he was appointed University Lecturer in Moral Sciences, a position which he held until 1911. He also served as Chairman of the Special Board for Moral Sciences (1906-12) and as Chairman of the Special Board for Economics and Politics (1908-20).
In 1882 Keynes married Florence Ada Brown, daughter of a prosperous Congregationalist family. The couple settled down just on the outskirts of Cambridge, where they bought a house. Their first son Maynard was born in 1883. They had two other children, Geoffrey born in 1887 and Margaret in 1890. Florence later became a prominent social reformer and the first female Councilor of Cambridge Borough Council, and its Mayor in 1932.
In 1884, Keynes published Studies and Exercises in Formal Logic, based on the lectures he gave to his students. The book became an important pedagogical textbook in formal logic, going through four editions. In 1888, Alfred Marshall tried to persuade Keynes to accept the position of a lecturer in economics at the University of Oxford, but Keynes refused. He published in 1891 the Scope and Method of Political Economy, the work which earned him the degree of the Doctor of Science, awarded to him the same year.
In 1892, Keynes became a Member of the Council of the Senate, the governing body of the University of Cambridge. He was elected as Registrar in 1910, and held that office until 1925, the year he retired.
Keynes outlived his elder son Maynard by three years and died in 1949 in Cambridge, England. He was 97 years old. His wife Florence was also 97 when she died.
Work
Philosophy
Keynes published his first book in 1884, under the title Studies and Exercises in Formal Logic. The book was based on his lectures given to his students, and was full of interesting and ingenious problems in formal logic for the students to work on. He defended formal logic, in its pure form, against the influences of philosophical logic of Kant or Hegel, and empirical logic of John Stuart Mill.
Keynes also elaborated on the concept of non-categorical syllogism, a form of logical inference which uses whole propositions as its units. While categorical syllogisms use premises and look at their internal structure to make a conclusion, non-categorical syllogisms deal with the values of proposition in relation to other propositions. Propositions are viewed as single, non-decomposable units, with their internal true value. Non-categorical syllogisms can be either hypothetical or disjunctive. This form of syllogistic is traceable to the Stoic logicians but was not fully appreciated as a separate branch of until the work of Keynes.
Economics
Keynes was a close friend and former student of Alfred Marshall, an icon of British economics for half a century. Keynes however did not strictly follow Marshall’s ideas, and it was said that he disappointed Marshall by failing to live up to his expectations.
Keynes published his first greater work in 1891, under the title Scope and Method of Political Economy. In it he tried to find the solution for the methodological difference which had stirred much conflict in the 1870s and 1880s. At that time, German-speaking world was engaged in the Methodenstreit ("battle of methods"), between the Austrian School of economics led by Carl Menger, and the German Historical school of economics led by Gustav Schmoller. The Austrians insisted on a deductive approach and stressed the importance of pure theory, while Schmoller's German group emphasized the importance of inductive studies.
Keynes adopted a syncretistic position. He believed that the “Methodenstreit” could be solved by taking both inductive and deductive methods into consideration, and making a “unified” model. He claimed that both induction and deduction were required to understand how the economy functions. Inductive reasoning provided the general premises needed for the deduction to take place, and deduction created general laws which had to be tested by inductive procedures.
Keynes divided economics into:
- "positive economics" (the study of what is, and the way the economy works),
- "normative economics" (the study of what the economy should be), and
- "applied economics" (the art of economics, or economic policy).
The art of economics relates the lessons learned in positive economics to the normative goals determined in normative economics. It generally means that the goal of applied economics is to find how to come from positive to normative economics.
Legacy
John Neville Keynes was a noted economist and philosopher, who is unfairly forgotten today. His work in philosophy remains mostly noted for his elaboration on non-categorical syllogisms, while in the area of economics he tried to synthesize deductive and inductive approaches to economics in order to bring together the Austrian School of Carl Menger and the historical school of Gustav Schmoller.
John Neville Keynes is mostly remembered today however, as the father of his famous children:
- John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), the economist.
- Geoffrey Keynes (1887-1982), a surgeon.
- Margaret Neville Keynes (1890-1974), who married Archibald Hill (winner of the 1922 Nobel Prize for Physiology) in 1913.
Publications
- Keynes, John Neville. 1884. Studies and Exercises in Formal Logic. London: Macmillan
- Keynes, John Neville. 2007 (original published in 1891). The Scope and Method of Political Economy. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1430491132
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- BookRags.com. John Neville Keynes. Retrieved on June 6, 2007, <http://www.bookrags.com/research/keynes-eoph/>
- Broad, C. D. 1950. Obituary: Dr. J. N. Keynes (1852-49). Economic Journal, 60, 403-407
- Deane, Phyllis. 1987. John Neville Keynes. In Eatwell, J., Milgate, M., and Newman, P., (Eds.), New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0333372352
- Tullberg, Rita M. Economists' Papers - Series Two: The Papers of John Neville Keynes, 1864-1917, from Cambridge University Library. Adam Matthews Publications on http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk. Retrieved on June 6, 2007, <http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/digital_guides/economists_papers_series_two_john_neville_keynes/Editorial-Introduction.aspx>
External links
- Economist Papers - John Neville Keynes (1852-1949) – Collection of Keynes’s papers and his biography on Adam Matthew Publications website Retrieved June 24, 2007.
- John Neville Keynes – Biography on BookRags.com Retrieved June 24, 2007.
- The Scope and Method of Political Economy – Full-text Keynes’s work from 1891 Retrieved June 24, 2007.
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