ABSTRACT

Struggles over the degree of the scientific autonomy of statistics led to the demise of one of the first international scientific congresses in European history. But in the 1880s, only a decade after the collapse of that congress, the International Statistical Institute (ISI) was founded as its immediate successor to overcome the nationalist disputes that hindered the idealistic visions of a universal science breakthrough. The connection between universal scientific concepts and state reform processes is examined by the case study of the implementation of national income statistics according to internationally comparable standards in the German Reich. Thereby, the organizational history of the ISI, the role models of the participants and national realities are set in relation. The article argues that the semi-official character of international statistics implies a tension between scientific autonomy and dependence on national administrations. Equally, it offers the possibility of promoting national reform processes with reference to international integration, as the institutional responsibility for the German national income calculation in the 1930s demonstrates.

摘要

围绕统计的科学自主程度的斗争导致了欧洲历史上最早的国际科学大会之一的消亡。但在 1880 年代，即那次大会倒闭仅十年后，国际统计研究所 (ISI) 成立，作为其直接继承者，以克服阻碍实现普遍科学突破的理想主义愿景的民族主义争论。普世科学概念与国家改革进程之间的联系通过德国帝国根据国际可比标准实施国民收入统计的案例研究进行了检验。因此，ISI 的组织历史、参与者的榜样和国家现实之间建立了联系。文章认为，国际统计的半官方性质意味着科学自主与对国家行政部门的依赖之间存在紧张关系。同样，它提供了参照国际一体化促进国家改革进程的可能性，正如 1930 年代德国国民收入计算的机构责任所证明的那样。