LE PLAY, le p15, PItRRE GrimArmc Frtn ntnic (1806-S2). A French mining engineer, economist, and sociologist. born at La Riviere Saint Sauveur (Calvados). He studied at the Ecole Polytechnique. was appointed to the De partment of Mines. became director of the labo ratory of the Ecole des Mines and co-editor of the _tamales des Mines in 1832, and in 1534 pub lished the results of a geological and statistical investigation of the mineral resources of Spain made for the Spanish Government. Ile was sub sequently placed in charge of the Conunission of Mining Statistics, then newly established. and received the appointments of professor of metal lurgy at the Ecole des Mines (1840), inspector of mines (134S), Mid honorary inspector-general (1868). He was prominently connected with the various world fairs. In Issl he began the publi cation of the fortnightly periodical, La Refornic Sociale, which serves as the joint organ of the society and the unions. He was several years Senator of the Empire, but after 1870 with drew from public life. In France he is considered
the founder of social economy. lie followed the inductive method. and applied to social studies the process of scientific observation of phenomena employed in the natural sciences. lie is opposed at once to socialism and to laissez-faire, and in such writings as La rclorine sociale en France (1864) and L'organisation du travail (1870; in an English translation by G. Emerson. Philadel phia. 1872) urges the necessity to the stability of the social order of sympathy on the part of em ployer toward employed, which should count among its principal objects a thorough agreement upon the amount and method of payment of wages, and ready means for the investment of savings. His publications further include Les ourriers europeens (1S55). Consult the article by Higgs in volume iv. of the Quarterly Journal of Economics (Boston, 1890).