What to Do? Thoughts Evoked by the Census of Moscow

In this striking essay, the author turns a routine government count into a vivid portrait of a city’s hidden lives. He explains how a census differs from other sciences, not merely gathering numbers but confronting the everyday realities of thousands of ordinary people—beggars, laborers, children left uncared for—who become the true subjects of sociological study.

The piece moves from the dry mechanics of data collection to a moral meditation on the purpose of knowledge. By describing a census‑taker’s encounter with a starving man in a night lodging, the writer asks whether statistics can ever be separated from compassion, and how the resulting figures act as a mirror for society to see its own flaws. The essay invites listeners to reflect on the tension between cold calculation and human dignity, offering a timeless reminder that the pursuit of happiness must begin with honest, humane observation.