Modern Civilization in Some of its Economic Aspects

An 1896 analysis of the units of economic life, this work remains relevant in the historiography of economics.

William Cunningham (Author)

9781108053051, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 August 2012

236 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.4 cm, 0.31 kg

Renowned economic historian and clergyman William Cunningham (1849–1919) published this work in 1896, which is considered a companion volume to his seminal Essay on Western Civilisation. Educated at Edinburgh, Cambridge and Tübingen, Cunningham wrote widely on theology and economics. He was a Cambridge lecturer and fellow at Trinity, Professor of Economics at King's College London, a teacher at Harvard, a founding fellow of the British Academy, and President of the Royal Historical Society. Favouring historical empiricism over deductive theory, his work, labelled neo-mercantilist, was against laissez-faire and favoured economic regulation, social religion, and conservative incremental change. This book outlines these views as part of an analysis of the basic units of economic life - exchange, possessions, money, credit, selling, price, labour, trade, profit, interest, rent, wages - and how these interact within capitalism. The work strongly influenced contemporary thought and remains relevant in the historiography of economics.

Part I. The Characteristic Features of Modern Civilisation: 1. The conditions of material prosperity
2. Possessions and exchange
3. Money and other valuable things
4. Business principles
Part II. Selling: 1. The judgment of the seller
2. The wholesale dealer
3. The farmer and the manufacturer
4. Forced sales
5. Foreign trade
Part III. Hiring, Investing, and Letting: 1. The wage earner
2. The capitalist
3. The landlord
Part IV. Progress: 1. In society
2. Self-discipline
3. State intervention
Index.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ]