Feudalism, capitalism and beyond

Abstract

Capitalism has changed the face of the world. It has proved itself to be the mightiest and in some ways the most complex social formation of all time. Yet it is a historical formation too, arising at a particular period of history in one particular continent, doomed, in turn, as many would argue, to change itself beyond recognition or to be swept away before the rising tide of social revolution and social change. In the lectures collected here, historians, social philosophers and a lawyer probe deeply into the origins, development and future of the ideology of capitalism and combine to present highlights of its progress and its decline. Their views will be of vital interest to students of history, economics, politics and law and to all those who seek to understand the contemporary world.