"One of the central ideas of ancient metrology is explained by the much read and little understood Fifth Book of Aristotle's Ethics, in which the idea of justice is explained by referring to money and to the price structure. This book explains why money [in Greek] is called by the same name that applies to civil law and to natural law (nomos) and why this term is synonymous with arithmos [(number)]. Metrology first developed as an attempt to assure justice in the contract of sale by mathematizing the relation."
"The origins of the art of legislation and of legal science are to be found in the lists that state how many measures of a given commodity would correspond to a measure of another commodity. Once one takes this practical outlook, one can see how the idea of Divine Providence is linked with the methods used in the rationing of food, of which Greek inscriptions provide the most abundant evidence. Once one keeps in mind the metrological aspects of the idea of Providence, one can see the meaning of the word epiousios [daily] in the Lord's Prayer, a word on the interpretation of which an entire library has been written. One must keep in mind the ethical aspects of metrology to see in the Gospels the metrological reasons for the two miracles of the multiplication of the bread, the Feeding of the Four Thousand and the Feeding of the Five Thousand. In metrology, one must steadily shift from metaphysical and ethical presuppositions to practical aspects."
from "A History of Measures" by Livio C. Stecchini (ca. 1960).
Metrology, Law and Providence. L.C. Stecchi 17:2 p. 927
Forum | Rasch Measurement Forum to discuss any Rasch-related topic |
Go to Top of Page
Go to index of all Rasch Measurement Transactions
AERA members: Join the Rasch Measurement SIG and receive the printed version of RMT
Some back issues of RMT are available as bound volumes
Subscribe to Journal of Applied Measurement
Go to Institute for Objective Measurement Home Page. The Rasch Measurement SIG (AERA) thanks the Institute for Objective Measurement for inviting the publication of Rasch Measurement Transactions on the Institute's website, www.rasch.org.
Coming Rasch-related Events | |
---|---|
Apr. 21 - 22, 2025, Mon.-Tue. | International Objective Measurement Workshop (IOMW) - Boulder, CO, www.iomw.net |
Jan. 17 - Feb. 21, 2025, Fri.-Fri. | On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com |
Feb. - June, 2025 | On-line course: Introduction to Classical Test and Rasch Measurement Theories (D. Andrich, I. Marais, RUMM2030), University of Western Australia |
Feb. - June, 2025 | On-line course: Advanced Course in Rasch Measurement Theory (D. Andrich, I. Marais, RUMM2030), University of Western Australia |
May 16 - June 20, 2025, Fri.-Fri. | On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com |
June 20 - July 18, 2025, Fri.-Fri. | On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Further Topics (E. Smith, Facets), www.statistics.com |
Oct. 3 - Nov. 7, 2025, Fri.-Fri. | On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com |
The URL of this page is www.rasch.org/rmt/rmt172j.htm
Website: www.rasch.org/rmt/contents.htm