Explored the use of data in Daniel Defoe's "Age of Plague" and its relationship with the authenticity of the text. The book enhances the authenticity of the work through a large amount of data recording, such as the number of deaths and the number of quarantine houses. However, the study found that some of the data contained inaccuracies, and the narrator also showed skepticism towards the data. Therefore, Defoe's motivation for using data cannot be understood solely from the perspective of authenticity, but also needs to be analyzed in depth in conjunction with the social background of 17th century England and Defoe's data ethics.

The Era Context of Defoe's Data Consciousness Emergence

In "The Age of Plague," Defoe's use of data is closely linked to the development of computational science, reflecting the importance of mathematical computation in his time. In the Age of Discovery, risk calculation was crucial for navigation and trade, promoting the development of mathematical probability and statistics. As pioneers of quantitative analysis, Grant and Petty provided demographic data for policy-making by analyzing death records, which influenced Defoe's reference to political arithmetic. Defoe's early work "On Development" quoted Petty's viewpoint, demonstrating his attention to data.

Defoe's Data Ethics Thought

In depth exploration of the embodiment of data ethics in Defoe's "The Age of Plague", and analysis of the author's ethical considerations for data collection, screening, and commentary in the writing process. In the early modern era where Defoe lived, scholars pursued the relativity of knowledge, not absolute truth, but rather content with highly possible knowledge. The narrator H. F. in "The Age of Plague" not only presents a panoramic view of the epidemic, but also expresses doubts about the authenticity of details, reflecting the initial stage of the realistic novel style. Different from Camus' belief in the facts in pestis, Defoe's narrator emphasizes more on possibility and similarity, and lacks accuracy.

The textual authenticity of historical novels

Through the perspective of narrator H.F., 'Age of Plague' depicts personal experiences and emotions during the plague in 18th century London, in contrast to objective data. The title of the novel implies a cross genre characteristic, which is related to the rise of empiricism and new science. Defoe questioned the accuracy of the data, emphasizing the limitations and unreliability of observation, while highlighting the recording function of the novel, hoping that the text can provide warnings for possible future epidemics. Different from the preaching and medical perspective of "Preparation for pestis", "Age of Plague" pays more attention to the emotional and psychological impact of the plague on people, and believes that it is equally important to remember people's feelings and pain as well as historical data.