The Origin of Capitalism
A Longer View

In The Origin of Capitalism, a now-classic work of history, Ellen Meiksins Wood offers readers a clear and accessible introduction to the theories and debates concerning the birth of capitalism, imperialism, and the modern nation state. Capitalism is not a natural and inevitable consequence of human nature, nor simply an extension of age-old practices of trade and commerce. Rather, it is a late and localized product of very specific historical conditions, which required great transformations in social relations and in the relationship between humans and nature.

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Content

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part I: Histories of the Transition

The Commercialization Model and Its Legacy | 11 
Marxist Debates | 34 
Marxist Alternatives | 50

Part II: The Origin of Capitalism

Commerce or Capitalism? | ~73 
The Agrarian Origin of Capitalism | ~95

Part III: Agrarian Capitalism and Beyond

Agrarian Capitalism and Beyond | ~125 
The Origin of Capitalist Imperialism | ~147

Notes, Index etc.

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