An Essay Upon Projects

An Essay Upon Projects was the first volume published by Daniel Defoe. It begins with an introduction containing 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.

Publication

The text was written in 1693 and published in 1697. The title page states that it was "rinted by R. R. for Tho Cockerill, at the Three Legs in the Poultrey. MDCXCVII." There is no known manuscript of the work. The essay was reprinted several times and reached a wide audience. The book was dedicated to Dalby Thomas.

Subsequent publications on the same theme

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, The Protestant Monastery, Parochial Tyranny, Augusta Triumphans and Second Thoughts are Best. 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