Useful Knowledge: Determinism, Scientific Studies and Social Reform

Abstract In this chapter, I examine Jevons’s view of social reform in relation to his deterministic conception of human society. I argue that he aimed to make scientific enquiry useful for society. He believed that humans could become an object of scientific study because their behaviour was governed by laws. I bring out the connection between these ideas and the tradition of Unitarian thought, which also took a deterministic view of human society. Jevons was well-integrated within the circles of Unitarian social reformers, particularly through his involvement with the Manchester Statistical Society. I argue that his connection with these circles is important for understanding his views on social reform. I also outline the scientific studies which Jevons conducted in Australia, showing how they were connected to his concerns about social reform. I then contrast Jevons’s position with that of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, who held that scientific enquiry had to be neutral and avoid socially controversial issues. Jevons took the opposite view, holding that the social sciences should address such issues and should aim to improve society.