The Invention of Capitalism: Classical Political Economy and the Secret History of Primitive Accumulation

by Michael Perelman

Book Overview

The originators of classical political economy--Adam Smith, David Ricardo, James Steuart, and others--created a discourse that explained the logic, the origin, and, in many respects, the essential rightness of capitalism. But, in the great texts of that discourse, these writers downplayed a crucial requirement for capitalism's creation: For it to succeed, peasants would have to abandon their self-sufficient lifestyle and go to work for wages in a...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0822324911
• ISBN13: 9780822324911
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Duke University Press
• Length: 424 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.2"