An Essay Upon Projects

Updated on Oct 29, 2023

Edit

Comment

Author Daniel Defoe

Similar The Complete English T, The True‑Born Englishman, Memoirs of a Cavalier - Or - a Milit, Mere Nature Delineated, The Political History of

An Essay Upon Projects (1697) was the first volume published by Daniel Defoe. It begins with a portrait of his time as a "Projecting Age" and subsequently illustrates plans for the economic and social improvement of England, including an early proposal for a national insurance scheme.

Many of its issues were later revised in a series of pamphlets which were published under the nom-de-plume of Andrew Moreton. They are titled Every-body's Business, Is No-body's Business (1725), The Protestant Monastery (1726), Parochial Tyranny (1727), Augusta Triumphans (1728) and Second Thoughts are Best (1729). Compared to these works, however, An Essay Upon Projects is more focused on moral criticism than being project-oriented.

A list of the chapters

Author's Preface - to Dalby Thomas, Esq.

Author's Introduction

The History of Projects

Of Projectors

Of Banks

Of the Highways

Of Assurances

Of Friendly Societies

The Proposal is for a Pension Office

Of Wagering

Of Fools

Of Bankrupts

Of Academies

Of a Court Merchant

Of Seamen

The Conclusion

References

An Essay Upon Projects Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA