Richard Price (5) (1723–1791)
Author of Price: Political Writings
For other authors named Richard Price, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Born in the Welsh town of Llangeinor, Richard Price (February 23, 1723-April 19, 1791) was the son of a dissenting preacher and was himself ordained as one at age 21. He is best known for his moral philosophy but also wrote on financial and political subjects. His writings on life expectancy and show more life insurance claims led to sweeping changes in the actuarial and benefit policies of insurance companies and benefit societies; an article by him on public debt convinced William Pitt, the prime minister, to establish a fund to extinguish the English national debt. Price's chief philosophical work is A Review of the Principal Questions in Morals (1758, revised editions 1769 and 1787). Price's Four Dissertations (1767) contains a defense of his religious convictions, including a reply to Hume's essay on miracles. Against Joseph Priestley he defended freedom of the will in A Free Discussion of the Doctrines of Materialism and Philosophical Necessity (1778). Price's political views were progressive. In addition to urging political reforms in England, he wrote a widely circulated pamphlet defending the American cause against the British crown; the pamphlet is said to have encouraged the colonists' decision to declare independence. Price later became a friend of Benjamin Franklin (see Vol. 1). He was offered American citizenship by the Continental Congress if he would emigrate and serve as a financial adviser to the American government, an offer he gratefully declined. Price also welcomed the French Revolution; in fact, it was in reply to a 1790 treatise by Price that Edmund Burke wrote Reflections on the Revolution in France. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Works by Richard Price
Observations on the nature of civil liberty the principles of government, and the justice and policy of the war wit (1776) 15 copies
Observations on the importance of the American Revolution, and the means of making it a benefit to the world (1820) 13 copies
Sermons on the Christian doctrine as received by the different denominations of Christians. To which are added, ... 9 copies, 1 review
Observations on reversionary payments on schemes for providing annuities for widows, and for persons in old age: on the method of calculating the values of assurances on lives:… (2012) 7 copies, 1 review
Two tracts on civil liberty, the war with America, the debts and finances of the kingdom (1972) 5 copies
Additional observations on the nature and value of civil liberty, and the war with America: also observations on sc (1778) 4 copies
Associated Works
Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography [Norton Critical Edition, 2nd ed.] (2012) — Contributor — 47 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1723-02-23
- Date of death
- 1791-04-19
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- Great Britain
- Birthplace
- Llangeinor, Wales
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK (Newington Green)
- Map Location
- UK
Members
Reviews
Observations on reversionary payments on schemes for providing annuities for widows, and for persons in old age: on the method of calculating the values of assurances on lives: and on the national debt by Richard Price
"Permit me to thank you, not only on my own Account for the Book itself you have so kindly sent me, but in Behalf of the Publick for Writing it. It being in my Opinion, (considering the profound Study, and steady Application of Mind that the Work required, the sound Judgment with which it is executed, and its great and important Utility to the Nation) the foremost Product of Human Understanding that this century has afforded us." - BF to Richard Price, 11 February 1772.
A review of the principal questions in morals Particularly those respecting the origin of our ideas of virtue by Richard Price
...I thank you, my dear Sir, for the volume you were so kind as to send me some time ago. Everything you write is precious, and this volume is on the most precious of all our concerns. We may well admit morality to be the child of the understanding rather than of the senses, when we observe that it becomes dearer to us as the latter weaken, & as the former grows stronger by time & experience till the hour arrives in which all other object lose all their value ... (TJ to Price, 11 July 1788)
show more target="_top">http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rbc3&fileName=rbc0001_2007jeffca... show less
show more target="_top">http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rbc3&fileName=rbc0001_2007jeffca... show less
Sermons on the Christian doctrine as received by the different denominations of Christians To which are added, sermons on the security and happiness of a virtuous course, on the goodness of God, and the resurrection of Lazarus by Richard Price
"I have read them with great Pleasure, and I think no one can read them without Improvement." - BF to Price, 18 May 1787.
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 22
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 138
- Popularity
- #148,170
- Rating
- 4.3
- Reviews
- 3
- ISBNs
- 409
- Languages
- 10