Guerry presents Essay on moral statistics of France

Background. Moral statistics refers to numerical data indicative of social pathology, such as crime, illiteracy, and suicide. Data on these variables began to be collected by state agencies in France and Britain in the early 19th century. Guerry, a lawyer and amateur statistician, worked with crime statistics from the General office for administration of criminal justice in France, the first centralized national system of crime reporting.

Methodology. Guerry's work involved creating thematic maps of the departments of France, shaded according to variables like illiteracy, crimes against persons and property, and illegitimacy. He used these maps to investigate relationships between moral variables. His approach included collecting suicide notes found by police in Paris over a four-year period, alongside maps showing suicide rates by department.

Reception. The Essay on moral statistics of France was presented to the French Academy of Sciences, a learned society founded in 1666. The work was awarded the Prix Montyon in statistics and published in 1833. Guerry, together with Adolphe Quetelet, is regarded as a founder of moral statistics, which contributed to the development of criminology, sociology, and modern social science.