The Beginnings of Capitalism in Central Europe (Lawrence Krader's Legacy in Science, History and Philosophy)

This book focuses on the beginnings of capitalism in Central Europe with emphasis on the German-speaking areas from the 14th to the 17th century. It also reviews and assesses the writings on the topic by the most important thinkers of the twentieth century. At the center of the presentation are the developments in mining, metallurgy, smelting, book publishing, clock making, ship building and advances in trade, commerce and finance. This book will be of interest to students of medieval and early modern European history, the so-called transition debate of feudalism to capitalism, social scientists and historians who are interested in the various transitions in human history, and philosophers who follow developments in the changing issues regarding freedom and bondage over the course of human development. Anthropologists who are familiar with Krader’s writings on the development of the Asiatic mode of production will be interested to see how Krader treats this transition from feudalism to capitalism by way of comparison and contrast. Cover 1 Contents 7 List of Illustrations 11 List of Tables 13 About the Author and This Book 15 Preface Krader in Context (David Levine) 21 Reply to Krader in Context (Cyril Levitt) 27 Translator’s Foreword 33 Acknowledgements 39 Author’s Foreword 43 Part I  61 Chapter One: The Beginnings of Modern Bourgeois Society in Central Europe 63 Chapter Two: Theoretical Conceptions of the Transition from Feudalism to the Modern Era in the History of Central Europe 75 2.1. General Remarks 75 2.2. The Transition from Feudalism to Modern Bourgeois Society According to Karl Marx 77 2.3. Max Weber and the Spirit of Capitalism 87 2.4. Sombart, Kulischer, von Below, Strieder, Brentano, Janssen, Pareto, Braudel 92 2.5. Schumpeter 97 2.6. The Capitalist System and Modern Bourgeois Society 99 2.7. Social Form and Substance 103 2.8. On the Theory of Labour and Technique as Part of the Labour Process in the Period of Early Capitalism 120 Part II  137 Chapter Three: Labour Processes in Central Europe, 15th–17th Centuries 139 3.1. The Population and Its Numbers 139 3.2. The Condition of the Peasants 146 3.3. Labour Processes in the City: General Considerations Concerning Harmony and Struggle 160 3.4. The Guild System, the Putting-Out System and Manufacture 163 3.5. Merchants, Trade and Calculating Skills [Rechenkunst] 182 3.5.1. Arithmetic, Calculating Skills 182 3.5.2. Merchants and Trade 187 Part III  213 Chapter Four: Machines, Mechanics, Time and Geometry 215 4.1. Mechanical Clocks and the Consciousness of Time 223 4.1.1. Mechanical Clocks 223 4.1.2. The Measurement and Consciousness of Time 229 4.2. Wage Labour and the Politics of Wages in the Early Capitalist Period 233 4.3. Labour and Society, Public and Private Interests 240 Chapter Five: Mining and Metallurgy 253 5.1. Mining Freedom 260 5.2. Structuring of Labour in Mining During the 14th and 15th Centuries 266 5.3. Labour and Processing in Mining 272 5.4. The Iron Industry in Central Europe in the 15th and 16th Centuries 285 Europe in the World 321 Capitalism and Developed Culture 335 From the Social Contract to the Concept of Society in the Capitalist Period 337 Bibliography 339 Illustrations 351 Index 371 "This book focuses on the beginnings of capitalism in Central Europe with emphasis on the German speaking areas from the 14th to the 17th century. It also reviews and assesses the writings on the topic by the most important thinkers of the twentieth century. At the center of the presentation are the developments in mining, metallurgy, smelting, book publishing, clock mak-ing, ship building and advances in trade, commerce and finance. This book will be of interest to students of medieval and early modern European histo-ry, the so-called transition debate of feudalism to capitalism, social scien-tists and historians who are interested in the various transitions in human history, and philosophers who follow developments in the changing issues regarding freedom and bondage over the course of human development. An-thropologists who are familiar with Krader's writings on the development of the Asiatic mode of production will be interested to see how Krader treats this transition from feudalism to capitalism by way of comparison and con-trast"-- Provided by publisher List of Illustrations - List of Tables ­- About the Author and This Book by Cyril Levitt - Preface: Krader in Context by David Levine - Reply to Krader in Context by Cyril Levitt - Translator's Foreword - Acknowledgements - Author's Foreword - Author's Introduction - The Beginnings of Modern Bourgeois Society in Central Europe: The Bourgeois Revolution from the 15th-17th Centuries - Theoretical Conceptions of the Transition from Feudalism to the Modern Era in the History of Central Europe: Marx, Weber and Troeltsch, Sombart and Kulischer, Schumpeter - Labour Processes in Central Europe, 15th-17th Centuries - Machines, Mechanics, Time and Geometry - Mining and Metallurgy - Europe in the World - Capitalism and Developed Culture - From the Social Contract to the Concept of Society - Bibliography - Illustrations - Index