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Capitalism

A Short History
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Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2016

About this book

A comprehensive and concise history of capitalism from its origins to today

In this authoritative and accessible book, one of the world's most renowned historians provides a concise and comprehensive history of capitalism within a global perspective from its medieval origins to the 2008 financial crisis and beyond. From early commercial capitalism in the Arab world, China, and Europe, to nineteenth- and twentieth-century industrialization, to today’s globalized financial capitalism, Jürgen Kocka offers an unmatched account of capitalism, one that weighs its great achievements against its great costs, crises, and failures. Based on intensive research, the book puts the rise of capitalist economies in social, political, and cultural context, and shows how their current problems and foreseeable future are connected to a long history.

Sweeping in scope, the book describes how capitalist expansion was connected to colonialism; how industrialism brought unprecedented innovation, growth, and prosperity but also increasing inequality; and how managerialism, financialization, and globalization later changed the face of capitalism. The book also addresses the idea of capitalism in the work of thinkers such as Marx, Weber, and Schumpeter, and chronicles how criticism of capitalism is as old as capitalism itself, fed by its persistent contradictions and recurrent emergencies.

Authoritative and accessible, Capitalism is an enlightening account of a force that has shaped the modern world like few others.

Author / Editor information

Jürgen Kocka is a permanent fellow at Humboldt University of Berlin and former president of the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. In 2011, he received the Holberg Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the scholarly world.

Reviews

"[Kocka’s] new book offers an invaluable overview of debates about the definition and history of capitalism, with conclusions that are generally well documented, well grounded argumentatively, and in that sense convincing and authoritative."---Harold James, Journal of Modern History --- "Praise for the previous edition: "Capitalism: A Short History . . . Is aptly named. In just 169 pages, it tells the story of capitalism from its origins in the ancient long-distance trade routes of Mesopotamia to the 2008 financial crisis."" --- "Excellent. . . . The book is clearly the outcome of great intellectual investment and application of a vast range of in-depth knowledge. Kocka's short history of capitalism presents a life's work of dedicated scholarship."---Werner Bonefeld, History of Economic Thought and Policy --- "For anyone interested in a scholarly overview of the history of capitalism, Jurgen Kocka's short history is a terrific starting point."---Christopher McKenna, World History Connected --- "A brief and lively overview which is likely to attract a wide readership. . . . Entertaining and informative, it will prove useful and reassuring to many who are troubled by the onset of the capitalist crisis in 2008 but who are still wedded to the system."---Henry Heller, Labour-Le Travail --- "Jürgen Kocka is one of the most well known experts in the field of European History and like his previous books this compact book has all of his virtues: it's extremely clear and conceptually tight as well as very succinct."---Stephen Darori, Israel Book Review --- "‘Capitalism' is a commonly used term that resists simple definition or straightforward history. Kocka adds lucidity and erudition in this excellent overview. . . . [B]road in its intellectual sweep, covering a range of social science disciplines; and well informed by the literature in both economic and social history. . . . [Capitalism] provides a paradigm of what a short history of an important concept should accomplish." --- "One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016"

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    Frontmatter

    i
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    Contents

    v
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    Preface to the English Edition

    vii
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    1. What Does Capitalism Mean?

    1
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    2. Merchant Capitalism

    25
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    3. Expansion

    54
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    4. The Capitalist Era

    95
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    5. Analysis and Critique

    162
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    Notes

    171
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    Bibliography

    181
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    Index of Names

    197
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
December 18, 2015
eBook ISBN:
9781400873418
Edition:
Pilot project, eBook available to selected US libraries only
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
View content
https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400873418
eBook ISBN: 9781400873418
Keywords for this book
Capitalism; Merchant capitalism; Industrialisation; Economics; Economy; Finance capitalism; Entrepreneurship; Criticism of capitalism; Politics; Market economy; Economic power; State formation; Employment; Economic history; Slavery; Labour power; Imperialism; Agriculture; Modernity; Calculation; Laborer; War; Workforce; Partnership; Welfare; Wealth; Economic interventionism; Mercantilism; Financial transaction; Economic inequality; Division of labour; Bourgeoisie; Multinational corporation; Right to property; Economic forces; Market mechanism; Investment fund; Economic policy; Unfree labour; Commodity; World economy; Wage; Stock exchange; Plantation economy; Price mechanism; Wage Labour and Capital; Factory; Moral economy; Shareholder; Income; State-owned enterprise; Capital market; Currency; Financial services; Mixed economy; The Communist Manifesto; Raw material; Precious metal; Trading company; Criticism; Capital requirement; Institution; Joint-stock company; Marxism; Vertical integration; Merchant; Manufacturing; Competition; Market (economics); War economy
Audience(s) for this book
For a non-specialist adult audience
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