An inquiry into the permanent causes of the decline and fall of powerful and wealthy nations : $b Designed to shew how the prosperity of the British empire may be prolonged

"An Inquiry into the Permanent Causes of the Decline and Fall of Powerful and Wealthy Nations" by William Playfair is a historical account written in the early 19th century. The book investigates the underlying reasons for the decline of various nations, emphasizing the transition from wealth and power to desolation and degradation. Playfair's analysis incorporates historical examples, aiming to uncover the permanent causes that contribute to such societal downturns. At the start of the work, Playfair introduces his main themes, emphasizing the importance of understanding how nations can maintain their prosperity once achieved. He reflects on historical patterns, identifying a universal trend where societies that once thrived eventually succumb to decline, as illustrated by various ancient civilizations. The opening portion sets the stage for a detailed exploration of the interplay between wealth, power, and the internal and external factors contributing to national decline, effectively framing the inquiry as deeply relevant to contemporary England and its own standing among nations. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

William Playfair was a Scottish engineer and political economist. The founder of graphical methods of statistics, Playfair invented several types of diagrams: in 1786 he introduced the line, area and bar chart of economic data, and in 1801 he published what were likely the first pie chart and circle graph, used to show part-whole relations. Playfair has been reported to have been a secret agent for the British Government, although this is a subject of controversy.