Trust in Numbers: Quantifying the World

This lecture explores the historical development of quantification in physics and society, from Descartes' mechanical explanation of gravity to the emergence of empirical laws in the 18th-19th centuries. It delves into the philosophical underpinnings of mathematical explanations, contrasting positivism with hypothetical realism. The discussion extends to the role of numbers in error analysis, the evolution of statistical laws as laws of nature, and the concept of the 'average man' in social physics. The lecture concludes by examining the societal implications of quantification as a social technology and political philosophy.