2 The West, capitalism, and the modern world-system momar! Wallerstein Xt one wonder what i the tee” of thle end can, hy Tooncnmen) ne averted ik wr shy he aod hae Ivy em actin tems ayes i ay pre my ‘torch iy wld ny oa ey Ew hw {he lay they ald be sae Helo reponse, ‘nc emer fio, a barns th cua or bad Be ‘wed over the increased) wor! population, In short very minimal framework of agreed observations are there, though each nronded by important related questions about which ‘ven he empirical deseripon is under vevere debate "inlly dere san enormous confusion abou what to be explained der the heading "ts ofthe West” (or any oft alfematine wordings). “There are st lent three eparatesub-guertons about which there i comidcrable argument. One the explanation of what cxured the ro fled "css of feualarn” that what brought aout dhe decline “isappearance ofa particular exiting storia system. The second “gent, howe lation tothe et clea in moet account ws Bc the ery time that “feudalism” was decining or disappearing in Wowur Europe, di sem tobe inerensing (or eten occuring in some sear forthe nt tne) bt Haute Europe inthe frm of the novell “second serfdom.” A third quesuon is whether meaningful dtnetions cane made in the patents among Westen European zone, and in farculir wheter (and. why). England became “caitlin before France (or the Netherlands or “Germany” oe as”). Finally, dere sitet Ua sche to explain Why her elizaonal zone of the Srvld (Ching aia the amie woe) aid nr proceed to become “captain” modern” at this moment in time, but Europe i Neverthe deme this confusion, Tote once ass one unin freine- that some rane had to mov “forward ats way, anda this Spprosinate moment in ie “And sine, im vrullyeveryon's ews the zone that did move forward was in fact Western Europe (or for some, more narrow, England), i seems clear thi there occured 4 "rau of the Wes Indeed, ts has boon Hequenty denoted es ohe European mac ‘The miele, He seoms, i the feazation of dhe cena valve of the capitalist sytem self productvism." EL. ones states ie qute leary "The wal gueron i how dd a world of sate expansion [See way to cue of momive promt?» Hltoy st be thought of et peated, tela efforts of cmize growth wo bale wp Uoough the sits ring dovgh of esis growin"? This stark ftrmuation of The mare of the mitacle swell the prevailing toed ofthe itll tual protlem at had emerged in the ninetecnh centr eto be sre somewhat slips The West rose. How do we low the West rose? Te ahieved intensive growth. Why did dhe Wet sie? Ie acre Intensive growth, Why ie Ie that chiving intensive growth is con- Sidra tbe # "te"? Beene ir 8 univeral value, one however "ex, nin py i Th abt + ion —‘tha ovaiated in the West — ing part in fat afer the West had ‘neg to grow intensively What maken henner ale? Teak tualy imposed upon ised ino) the whol of te World an as is adhernt today ial parts ofthe woe not partic among the soveraments othe wold ‘Once apn we might invert the question, Did the West ely Hse? oF ide West aac fl? Was en crace west rave ly Wet lean achievement, ofa serous fling? Was the resizaion of in is, eof tratioaliy? Was ican exceponal Greaihvough, oF a Excepsonal breakdown? Do we need to expla the limitations oF ox tramsion to modern capitalism, ord we nee explain the Ltn ‘Western Europe such tat dd permit the wanton eo modern plain And was itprogamed, or was ice ke? propose ro discuss these maters as two sueesive questions: What ts ainincie about the captain “modern” rl system ht sti fisher strom alternative (ad preceding) stricter? Hove {he capa world-conony ia x hse comstrcied? ‘What is distinctive about capital? “Thee hve ben tree Spices defi the iflentia san Capita (or “modern” ab historical stem. One sw delineate te sociales or seca phenomena considered 0 Be primary oF fundamental A second is 0 specify the proceses by which these Prenimed acter oe phencmana coc. A thd to dex the trsturs thar account forthe proces. In each case tis neces 10 frgoe that these activites oF processes or structures ean be seen 28 Saison iene quaiively (or quantavely or in both ways) Tove les able wo conten i injustice to them. In any ease, 4 eapaist system opermts by tying (0 conver il transfers ato “alse” Snes. Howerer, since the “nel hand” hand that is poialy ttrucred (end comtantyrevructured, i ie to keep i ie tile" Ths the poltal vce of the device fsa pests Donethless ben esonably ecacious in part precly because 90 omplisted "The third process which i epestey oes a 2 othe ifr speia ofthe capt nder aoa pier the ceostrucon tfhnowiedge. Thi spat forward ina number of guises. In general the ftmphass i onthe predominance of scence, or of cera form of| ‘ince and therefore of een method mode of thought sometimes feted sat Newtonian ot Baconlan Newtonian, and whic pesames20° bao! Wein cor emphasis the linearity and uiversly of physical phenomena, Kis {ise tht thi mode of scene conse nse way theesence ofthe ‘apata™modern” tora system chap tha alone, argued, ‘ould have made possible the remarkable transformation of technoloy thac has historically occurred. In torn ia this tanaormation technology that made pombe the angescle situton of non Iraman fr bomen energy in productive actives which in tn seen forthe phenomenon of tensive growth “There area number levee t whic hi henis canbe, an has hee, sfulleged. In the ite twentieth century there a been increasing halleng, fom within the community of sence tl ofthe adoguacy tru of ths mol of cence, The challenge, to he dopres that tis forte rises questions implicitly about the rato of he tecinolo- bs ehoie that were ioral mae om the Hans ofthe Newtonian Id, This however amounts to 2 ctgue of the price of the iain" modern” hetorkal sytem, and no neces «questo A Gul dre challenge hasbeen to question the singularity ofthe technologie achievement of this sori rstem- One fot har been to establish a continous pattern of scietictechnolgiel advance, located in many diferent ord regions (Chin, India, the Neat East, ‘the Mediterranea ze) uo which cea Western Furopeansleaiie ‘fot have fc thems, primarily since the seeth sentry. By Underining continue, this argumene res the dnctvenet of Int ecard in Wesern Europe. Furthermore, tas been argued {hat inthis arena nti many ees, Wentera Europe had prvioushy been 2 “backward” oe marginal” one, implying therefore that any ‘aplanation of sgnicne change could not be accouted for excarively ‘or cten primary in terme of some West European aft fer ot tration facie node "This rapid survey of process that may be thought 1 dtngush she capitalieu"modem itor system from other Sytems suggests that the distinctions are dul cch clea}, and tha its dubious erect ‘theoretical scaffolding of explanation on the basis of thee presumedly Antinctive procener. Can we do beter we look at the ractre fhe ‘pital moder” torical system? "Phere are three structures tat have ben etal in the capita “modera” hori sytem whic repented have been (patty aed cally) asserted tobe te dtnguishing femurs: peat propery Sommodiaton (of svods, of land, and of labor); andthe sovereign Smodera” state. Hach poss problems ia dhe elfore to Uncover the Serta pe Private or quay propery rights refers to the asgnation of omer ship indus eal or Bete) of pia phenomens extended 0 fnclode o-aled itlleeual proper), who receive legal puaanices| that they can retain their property indefinitely wansfer or sand ‘bequeath fe They may abo us i (or eaves unused, ret oF me ‘up Furthermore, no one may consete wt se or dope of ‘ei stead or agin thet wi, Finally ll physi! phenomena a rncpleomned oy someone “There ate certain elementary objections t this pctre of the nee sion, Novall nomena ae in fact owed by someeae, For example, is general greed that airs not owned, and water seldom i Tei Bot trae that propery exempt fom all outuide deco, For cape, ‘etc rea the Ht of mmm damn, They my eget So certain wages to which property may be put. Inner of "emer: sency” they may go even further. Sues of propery ave subject 10 “rious legal imitans. Ths, onthe one hand property sare far {bom abet inthe capitalist mosern” strc sytem, On the oer ‘and, this sytem fot the only ene to have ha uch property see As trequnly sated ancient Rome, fo example, ad sua ute of query hts, however, we leave these objections asides mint, an agree that property rights wea petvase phenomenon ofthe capialis"modeey”| ‘trical sytem andi alone, here remain the question of how eer this Property at ofl Ue searing of phenomens tha potentially Jen ect via the mash to some lid ef consumption. Assnrt whom, and why, does consumption ned to be secured? Obvious, ‘here are generically only tw possblises: against the colleciy of ‘thers and apn india hers ‘Security of property agai the collects ofcourse not abot. ‘Wenhave akeady noted the coeept of eminent domino the rights of ‘he state in an “emergency” But how eecve iit, even normaly? Can ‘ot modern states (and thei substructures) a more oe es at WA? TE they ae restned in teain, eX not primary by plea pics ‘ther than by constional Ba No dub, there its pit at wich “normal” taxation may be thought to be exceeded, and the sate considered tobe (Meptimatl) confscatory. But this hard vo dee, tnd harder to enforce leply agaist the state bureavray, and in ay ine the very dein ofthe threshold lee har conser cones ‘om sublet o constant edefiniton and etching, ‘The real question In the dr fac diference ewren the secutiy” of sell private property gait the cllcity and the security of ther forms of ontalef phpalphenomeas in norecepitals historical systemsagainst she collect. In the Iater systems the consraine om the allecvity (or the poll rule) ray net be thought ofa the = {lnecy of confoestion bat Stern the Mopoucy of ving He mora cconem” But in pectic, how great tbe distinction? "There of course the second gutante of Secu, that agaast her individual, This i the guarantee agaist thet plunder, feud Bet surly Ge te po cre esos bee eer i ler practice, between the captalin"modern” historia system and other {rovows) ones. Perhaps more perinent i the secunng of propeety tights agtne hore ater Indvidons who ae close relates, Presun Shs, inthe. capiai’™mosern” torical system, propery Haka fers in designated iniduls and not ina “lay” a eo Sy which s moe eguondy ue ease i oer stems. But eve here, ‘he distinction rs. Tete Ins been ery we gamut of rls in te ‘iptai™modern” sytem that har eosored “family” abs a prop rv Chnbertnee ale spousal oe parental responsi rules, ete). ‘Converse, sjstem that empanethe "community" naare of rope, olen the “leaders” of thee communities dispose de fase of Fie that are very close to hove associated with India peste Stoury of goods not he only objec of property rshs, Commo Seaton b a seca. Secuty presumably matters prima because ie st as an inci for eatrpeeneual rk Behavior by ensuring the Petmanence of the reads. Enteprencual isk behavior market- ‘rene behave and this regres commodieson, Cammodiestion (OF cours, the marking of goods is 2 phenomenen i8 no way ‘exclusive to the eaptaiosern historical system. To be sre, HR) ‘oar an, thee were many scholars who soneidered i 9 e rte OF ‘scepinal or orc special reas in nom-eaptalit systems Bat tlhe empirical work ofthe pas ify year on these her Systems has tended to revel that they had much sore extensive commodiieaion| than previously sospected, even If glbaly not quite a extensive asin or bres viens The cote of tal mechs (ore cscs) Sr those ther spe certainly scent nonetele 19 laminate cw thatthe mere commotion of goods sulient to dstnguch the apialise™modern hstopcl ste fom oer previous systems. ‘Ar argument based on compodeaton thereto has 0 rest arg fom he ommocifston of two pec phone Id and abo (oF Iaor power. Ie iia sme way fc o baow why azaljte have slays singled out thse we phenomena es cases spar. I cnt be that they have been historially the most resistant vo commodicaton [As aleeady noted ar (and even wate) have been moe rita > commodification than land. Such special sats a land hay i lly 1 he pus 10,000 years upon och he eprom of aman eon fundamental dependent Tis ony ithe Week centy that see have begun o move any sigifcan way 6 a sitaton sn whi est ‘han te majority ofthe work's population wll be employed i acca fsoenaly fom the land. Ix ot surpriing therefore that varios Taster systems ve developed mechanisms to constrais (even baa) the commodiicnon of land. sth been undone fa the capt “modern” historia system? To some extent, ofcourse. Mos and is tena even tdty. And twas at traci plore that ae at til asallnabie Indeed, there were some zane, Hee Chis, where land ter lng alenable, thas heen primary a mater of incesing wld (vdein the last er centres the perentage olin hat enable land is lente and in Senne of whet? Marit aneecons ae sly not eon wa af waning comet of and, apd warslers of contol hve Been ¢lequent and recurtng phenomenon of al know historical fysteme. If coneldaton of conto optimal for producsion (and Producti) three ure een at mich comaaliation nthe osee Sst nomcapitsis stems aia the captain modern itor stm {socal “famlysze” units are optimal once gain they have been 23 fequenr in the onc a the oe. ta shor it snot cea thatthe feltely increased allenablity of land as rested any enormous Aierence inthe esential morphology of anche. ‘Want then of the commodiicrton of labor, oof bor power? The sey importance of dhe proletarian wage worker hs bear sraed in ‘many antaes of eptam. Here to, we must ook fst at empl Feaity and then ats consequences. Wage work hs of course been a Centr fate ofthe capist"modern” historical tem, But hat fever ben the only ode ofthe ue f labor power, deed tay be Guestioned whether has beea even he maj mde within steric pai. Conversely hus seldom (i ever) been etl abet os fe mode ofthe wi of bor power in non-capials systems. As wit ‘he alienaity of nnd the ainabty of lor power ix mater of degre, There bat bees daub more of tin the captala?™madera”| torical ate, but ee aot numedicly seleviden that the ier cence of depres han been qaltaielysigcant“This leaves unicusod what jntienton there i for dings ‘between she comindifestion of labor and that of aber powers ha ie the afernce beeen the sl and purchase of «human's aber power Foca fee (avers) a opposed tots use for specie pid year, lav hou) Tes surely ot cea ha inthe bor of he wkd ere has ten ls slavery within the cpea™masern” histori tes cha In previous ane. One mht perhaps make whe opposite ase, Finally, however the gueron remains With the alisabilty of landy what difrence does alenbty of nbor (andor Iabor owe) Suis? it npc that only flor andr labor power baler, til be porkhle to locate optimally use, tis leaves out of Sonsderion ihe, posuly iat “adminktative” tans might chive the same objective, indeed achieve i beter under cermin ‘Grcumtancs fs mpued that commoied Tabor power i ese to provide e mubwanal commodity goods mae, this laser out of ‘Somerton that casi puchare of gods for reproscsion (x by vam intndancy by 2 fcry plantation swe) eam hav substan tithe sme efecto providing market purchasing power, and indeed Ish hi effet histo "We re lef therefore th the uncertain a8 0 whether the dare of commodication achined undet the exptli™"mndern™ store ‘System le quantitatively greater than oer ystems bee a for ‘Gualaely fundamental And even thas been 30) whether it 0 ‘Sette tat commodieaton by ful tasfoms product ‘We tas ten tothe rd rca etre conden spect the caitlin sytcn the sovereign modern” wate What et abou the ‘modest sate that diferent from he plea strstr of pecvous| bistrcl prem? Tn the posal theory ofthe eapitis“mser istricl stom lf the deme that emphasoed sovereiny The trond self makes clea its execs, Soverepnty i devised fom "ver Sav" a sage ru of geographically defied aren who has compre inive and exclusive authori within shi aren. Sverigny he “nication of poll authority, he opposite of the “pacelation” tha Ind marked the potical sructre of Furopean eds.» ‘sovereignty fen conifred eet othe eaptais™ modern” strc sytem, becne ts comered the ecetary complement tore ination of private propery. Parte property rexuites Pole inuranice, ane thea guarantees can only be taken seus if fered By sneha iy sven and thereby has he necemary aur a sae tbe guarantees “We Wa cay nd the der wre a “There are however two problems ete. One, once again, the ft ste actualy been soverlgn? Have they had bh compretemive and txclisie aitorty within their boundarier? Cleat in the hati realty of dhe modern word no rntehas ever been tals sovereign In ‘Mito, dhe states hove varied wily term fhe eflectieaatorsty they have been able to eerie. Many have been gute weak ery few reiively song. Secondly sovereignty mneaered by contalaed and Unified thority as opposed to parceled authority, other storia fave have th contin (or made thi clam): fr example, the major world empire, although in fet the real power of word tps as forthe most partes than that of overcoats ithe ‘modern iterate sates, “This lads then, tothe queston whether thee & some way of inguihing the moder” tte fom the word erie. The whole torpus of Max Weber's political weings maybe so bean ster Slop thie wo Key element that Waber ner, ley lke in fact one the other, ae the mode of legimaion of power and the structure of the butenuracy- Weber and the Weberians) have emplise ed the degree ta which the modern sate based on “ronal ee” Premises ar epponed to being "patrons Arana bareaucracy ‘id to be ecmcaly superior and is dectlyHnked by Weber tothe needs of cpials markt economy thatthe ofl business of public ‘Minis be dachoged prewely, unamBiaouss continu, fat with as mach speed as pone > Ar with the other exe Structures, the question is double. What the epic ea of the Fraction, as oppose to the theoreti descripdon? Even ifn pace a Uierenc exis, what are the real omsequenees ofthis ference? “The operational importance of ional ea” leatimation cated in the snuonality of the burenscracy. But how rational have aol Iureaucracies been? The Imitaons a the dees to which bare ‘aces of “modern” states ave in Tact been composed of impersonal ind disimerested atonal technocrats is indeted by the now vey "neni erature on “coruption” whichis continuing and pervae (in one for or another) ldeed may we not consider fat integra ‘mene ofthe operations ofthe historia sen? Just at wage Ie Ivers out to be only oe mode of remuneration amoag several (nt ‘esd bat conte), vo dsinterestednest farms out to Be onl? te mie of Bureaueretc Behavior among several (not resialy Out Conall). In addon, as the admaiisratve.stucures of“rman sates have grown nsf fom becoming more “rato” as Weber asserted) they ve infact removed a frger stratum of osons fom the diet operation fs system of ratnal bureaucrat Tangy also be ake wher buteavrse pubic administration fa ssc clement inthe maximization of the abisy of enreprencar 0 purse thir proicorintedimerees. Obviowiy, has advantages in feome of preety and objectty in terms of the confitng Interent of te competing entrepreneur). Dut the fees of particular crrepreneus especially the Ingest among them, might be beter “Serve by ewe predictable, less objective (hence mote calls) pubic ‘Miminiratione, "Thote this eructaratfenture that dtingiths dhe “modern” stat, ome that is last Gequendy disused. Tes the act dat thee toresgn® sats ae i it precisely ot play Slated structures, ‘but rather members ofan estate pte ined they ae defined by thi membership in thi interstate syst," ras ot ofcourse Ue forte multiple ntecsdent word empires. But what se saieance ff hifi trocar! parley of the capitals" modern strc ‘stm? Ise not st ha the interstate system constrains he sovereign {ine in precy al of the features which presumably sng he "nora states rm her forme of wats? The interstate ster ts the sovereignty of the mates, there recreating a form of paresized sovereign, The intrate stem creates the posstiliy of recoane boyand the Boundaries of the state, thereby neerminng the perma specs of dessons on the sscoy of property rights. ‘Te intestate ‘Sate provides the fameork within which wans-tate patron ‘Sates may fourth (the exitnee of “comprare bogs” ‘verve networks, pal agents of frcan power, ct). Final the Intrate rte subverts the sgicane of plein with a fren sate afr cnfrcet a worleconomy-wide dvsion of abort ‘ich te ole on-vage labor remains ining, “The ome thing that te internat system dos not constrain is dhe bie act ofthe captain modern” histone system —inensive rows expuion, the cries accumilation of expt. Quite the ontzay The interstate stem bas ben ite one major expression of {his sci. As the work economy fe “grown” so has the interstate ‘stm, fom is imited boundaries (ar eodied, say, inthe Treaty of ‘Westin in 164) toi lol inclusiveness as recorded inthe sivemal vocation ofthe United Nation) "We tus revit tothe question, what enincie about captain? “Tis capi review of he standard response this gueton Ins served “The Wen capil, and the modern wet 2 to present the cae thatthe preimably specie ractre and procener ‘of the capialat"medern” historical sem all are lest dstncve practice than in theory. And eas raed questions about wheter the ‘arcu procese and sractare, tothe exon they ae fot serene [Bom those of ether astm, canbe i to account forthe economic and scentiioaecnoogicl development tht we sec. The one thing ‘hat ses unquesonale and unquestioned the hyperbole growth cures in predoton, population, and the accumultion of eaital— that hove been a coninsng realty front the stenth centr. Bit Iypabole growth curves ane not pe se Yo be applauded. Cancers 0 sw hyperbolic ‘We mst now tn from the outcome —theextence of captali! “modern” hora sem to the descion ofthe ois, This cen refered to athe questo of “the tston from fel to ‘apeamy” ce how i tat oor coment saton actly came in The historical construction ofa eaptait world We have ted to mpecy what we mean by “captain” andlor moder sty Similarly ts necessary wo spec what we mens by “felis ftTest in Wester Europe fe are 1 ask bow ti tat ure was 8 Srraneion” fom one tothe oer in this specie geographic tne FForthermore, ss Bis ceminds un "a thcory of fern sms ake account oft rigs a much of ts dvapearance.”™ "AC one tine, shad been argued tat “ead” was some ind of “ontura economy” with a neat oa absence of markers mene, aid smanufacores. ‘This has become hard 10 defend in the Tht of erent Scholanbip. On the contrary it scent sea tat European fel ‘volved a sgutcase grows of mart, money, and manlacrs. We ‘st begin withthe fac th the instting of ue ed syste it ‘ssc Frm inthe leven century was ate ine ae soon to {he conning problem of how to explo agricultural abo by an uppet ‘trator psmary al was warfare, Slavery fad been a important (perhaps the hey) mechan to accomplish ti, not oni the Rom "Empire, but he xl Male Ags as wo (6 to lath ceases) “However, the muntenanceof saver. insgiicantaumios, egules * Bomar 190 32) ry ct tt ie Blas oo il cl Comme pet cage nm (way tbe Se (SB age ci Sy ie ertr sn co os em ser pennsays Seana aier asian daca dierent rca ele soma sca a Steet ten Banpes ake eke ener Eenmrreneite mamas See ere arate cee Seatioeyigismrantariamedy cnet Exeeateien cotuaesee eo sitar Savery ws not incompatible withthe presence of fee” lores, a tenants or een proprietor and ascent co that beng culated by Sven Indend the cospresene ofthe “Re” Iabores may cee have team highly postive for the pote! reinforcement of the sae sistem ‘Te reaton ofthis “thc” tinction nang the work force may have facitated the maintenance f onde However, sich “ee” laborers tree by no means neces ind gether in primordial senate: Those dferentaon would later sie rac to feudal md property, “Shtough tht soe Takashi ha pictred the sequence * This mode ieee) a pnan spe ee, Lame ci come of aS Re ecm iad Aus si ad cana er nape [Exe abe per prac nat somes non te seo he Ht eae" BE cee nl a eso he ‘Te et ft pe ery tae he ey des See kare ag et oe iy not onianotes the exience of the medical villas nth saves, bt ko mise the fee tit the rural commnies (nd thee quegae ‘aon soles) far om beng poral, were themes ately lice products of the inclusion ofthe tena inte feudal dependency network. As Guerrea argues: "To seein fourtes-"" "These initiatives were intone a. the asc feudal tem (ef bound wo her aster, but lo bound to ‘ach erin communal seuctre). For most previously "ee" ‘ore this ne’ sytem in act vole ensemble increat thelr ‘rploation,comtned witha relative opportu for some to nprove thee stuntion, olsun explains this incense pressure on ovo ground. 1m he wne and here ae te increasing cot of veep At the ew zac orca wee comune) ane hed to ge father feids On the other hand, the secmergence of an uiban network (beginning trendy inthe igh century) eested «demand for increased product tio.) Thus iewas tt bs 1000, more oc es “the banal elgley Ws "sbi vial everywhere” in part Gm age par) besa ofthe nud ofthe system of “ut pillage" And, wih the eeaon of a ew eploative system, there may be ad to have Begun the "peso of ‘ynamism and esoondancy fr Christin Europe in geet" Sal despite de economic and geographic expansion ofthe flowing toto thre centres, the new syste ofexplation was sl on que ‘ky zuctrl lp One crucial element wes thatthe pina mean Dt production, sable nd, “had ise be produced” by a prose of tan leaance" Brenner notes this by aging that coloarion wat ‘he"archetpal form of feudal development and feudal improveren Me sats tis however, to narrow ince the clonantion of entirely su hd ie aa oe «i San icine, ho“actos i on a of ged The od SOSA SS at SLT ee te a Siete act ak ee ie peels tat epee saa ee ie reais et a ge es SULTS a a POR oes niga menial ae ae pene oe Dee RNa eee ee eta econ eo aie ek Sh ee AS ep tet a Festi as Se evan cy ronment are siete inahdarre ew a a Se Fd hpi ee mrt ine ata cr ner tars SLA i we cae le cea roe Soran et ose a Bony en cay cre es Te cy err cee ie een Dave es fare iiss SES SS see ened en oc od id vege wan specie tomer Sema iat pe oe econ cael eee re Lae Tice eee a oe Shickeaiae si mesindat ean aera “The We cipal andthe modem wnat 3” {sr He lao howe See arr he ope one he ‘Soler o tow sd ote ous wie cot of bene "We eras hae + hndvning a we wry exe pede on che SS ey enn er nh ceed Tei for these reson that Bois insists om dining feudalism a the Thgemony of individual pet production” combined wih, of cuts ‘he appopsnion of part fhe rrp bythe sige, an sppepation ‘hat war made pole by poi! onstn “This system worked wesnerful wel forthe anor fora tine, but then ceed to Jos. wat ces 12304 thot theater tre it wor” which se conventonll cent hare laste Sica 14504 Hence, we seen oe dealing with an torical system ha exited Sor ‘nly 500 yest at most a poiod that apparnty may be sid to be ‘imposed one-half fie or fourhing ofthe sytem snd oneal of 2 cro fall Thi sem a erly atbrevited and orl schra, Sme ators sive tis snomalyby etching the definion of ud als” byand the Signor Serf modal to inlaw he eso ‘Gren 400-300+ op to cre 1000, Bur this in turn poses another lteter, wo sed by Docks: "What needed her revite the concept ofthe feudal ode a composed of to soeeste {vom whinge mode of production, orto regard the Mille Ages 1 2 prolonged wamional period betrcen the tne Mose and the ‘aptaist mode of production" ‘Sue oth pate fre nd ee apse amd ney Sve teen es be ‘Resse grote nea he ear ef he vO a ‘Sashes inetd pe em eee etre Te ev Std inthe on am sly sr“The fea estem in Westen Coro scems quite lay to have cpernted by 1 pater of eyes of exponson nod contraction of two ‘ent: irc 50 yer and ces 200-200 years. The tw Kinds of ces scm 10 show parallel characteris and the shorter ones Were e- “Sconce in the longer once The erence for the shorter ener most ‘ely presented nthe cre reconstruction by Be for Normandy ‘The lmger ones (or rather the longer ane) as received the comeasual {accor of mow economic hatorngs dealing withthe te Mile Age Tera curous puenomenon, semaining to have an adequate theore= ica explanation, hat these 30-yeur cles See to resemble cycles found i the capita word-ecnomny (he so-called Kondatil ele ‘ofthe nineteenth and teetieth centri) eich many ao thik e0 {vist inthe stent eighteenth canaries As forthe eles of 200, to 300 yeas in lengthy they ze widely aprod to have exited sn the ‘Scent to eehtenth centres,” an an argument ean be made hat they sonrinued inthe nineteenth and twentieth centre x wel Ths inal one more way, we fed ar uncorforiable Burg ofthe di ‘hanes the patterns ofthe European medieval and moder Word The patter of the expansions and contrsetons ix clea ad out and widely aceeped among thoteweting abou the Ine Mile Aes fd ety modern mes Europe," ahough of course the direction of the caoliy is subject to very item deateement Tce generly pred thatthe expansion and (lave) contaction of popula, at Tapa aren under caleation, wominal prices total production, and mount of monetary transactions went up and own i pall. ‘essing demand and prices le to an inrese i and area devoted to Atuble production, decening demand and pics lod to sit any fiom arable to cher pastoral or vitcluta production, Trea mand Sed to sore ager innovation, greater uss of fetes, Taher sil reater concentration on the more expensive grains (bens, then ye); decreed demand ad the iver effect. Increased Jane and popition was coraated with acrewed numbers o fn ‘its hr average nie being reduced creased demand edo greater oncetion of and unt Expansion was correlated with restr fent Income to ren receivers ontaction wih ls otal income Expansion tre cortlted with more favorable terme of rae of agile i, Insts contact withthe ere (he wo-called pice scisors). Real traps went down with expumion at population increases up wih The Weapon and the modes wold » oration Industry was mote wba in nes f expansion, more rr in conaction. Expansion in the feudal stem led to move sors, the fon sng that was cri Ths 1050-1250¢ wat atime of the expansion of Europe (he Crusades; the clonztons inte cnt a far north, and i Klan) which were dhe haked or pase bac Tt ‘est the time of orihing ofthe ban enters te constrtion of te ‘reat eather, the nrengthering ofthe sate vcures and ence of tote femal peas if more waar athe ees of he sytem) The isi” or grea contacton of 1250-1450* inlaed the Blac Plague, the period ot numerous peasant revels (andthe Nourishing of “eal tara heresesin the Chureh, the rss of seignioial evens and he fester internecine seul of the netty (eq the Hundred ears ‘the Wat ofthe Roses) al of whic vated vsence and dierder ‘hat aes othe deine in Beh total production and produc. becnse of, or ia the wake of th long contacto of the ‘eanomy thrughout Europe, thi “crs” ofthe feudal stem, shat ost commentators argue there oourred (r bean) “ranstion” 10 Capitalism, or w 4 “moder” commerdalied ecanomic stom. Some ‘malt Tay eps on the route dis represented. Others prefer 9 ‘=the pice from 1000+ to day a alae steady eration, bet ven enter ser to recogni that a ualtative shift took place cea 1500. This eanepe x omserated in or accepted perioton which ‘ces cea 1500+ a the end ofthe Md Ages and the Beginning rope of “ealy modern times" or sees the Renaissance plat the Reformation a eral tring-poine ‘Bur wha ar the explanations nor given nso why this ansfor- mation” eccuted? Here the iterate far more muPy since May of the “explanations” are primunly empirical descriptions of shat i hows to have change! of evoied, rather tham what cxued he changes oeccur. Why infact i any indamental changes eeu ata? ha tos that particle vant of an arial stern in which some creat expla in sme fain the ms of the url poets lve say to abother variant was nothing new in Wester Europe ot ‘sewer, Ts had Been the story of main ever snc the so-called ‘griculrrlrevoson. Al the vant had ben useable i the see that any given one ed seldom ated more than 400-00 yes But, ‘when any gen one had eclapsed it had been replaced previously it nota ve conquest by anode variant which shared certain actor Characters 4) the primacy of agricltur] production, combined ‘wth artisanal vit () the ed global surplus; © the sostenance ‘of nonvagricurl producers by a politely enforced. wansfer ofsurplus tothe upper stratum of (osu) warns eee, and mer ‘hanes; (some news of ade, usualy at est one longistance ewok, combined wih very lal one. Probably the most prosperous fal hese store sytem were eae in the most Fel aecua ‘ancy, wherein we Bo the "great cations” ve the lls ‘Many’ tess historical sytem ad what we might cll proto Ger fs yr hi epi Wr SSE oer Een es Ea ‘hear en lo ogee hw eth thr ‘ietep re bon sete paces wa epg a, ‘Shain! ai oe atc pe ‘And yet curious enough te Engh srtcracy's srangleold on the poor peas (a compared Yo the French aristocracy inepiude) seems ot merely to have dsappenred bythe stent century, but 8 row the very epponite equation that dro explain the English ead “twas dhe Engl lord inby eer to re-rset the peasants rf move inthe dlecion of sot as had weir French counterpart) ‘which Freed hem inthe Tong run to sek novel ways. ut of thei even cri" nts that iad been previously discussed by Brenne Feltely minor ip England. "Lacking the aiity to rempose rome System a ext economc ley othe pessantry, the lors were obliged {© use heir rernning Feudal powers to futher what in the end ured, tutto he capital detlopment= “The “hurr for Healy” choo sore obscure, fr two Fesons. In the intent cantiry ay eid ot seem ae resplendent ae Geet Bt {alhowgh since the 1970s ie may be going is revenge). And fewer people ead Taian. Nonetheless, there has always bee a strong woe forth theme, mom rece bros po date by Pelican or Pelican as for many ethers, “te istry of apa and he history ofthe imitations on the powers (of the sas) are an ential ory oat least have appeared onthe historic stages to tly Inetinked holes" Mactaane might not disapee. Buc for Pell ‘Si the sory stared ly, no Ensen Ts onder to preeat the ease for Ta, Pecan mare del with the “Weber argument on the ciel importance of the Prot ete. He scknoweues dhe historical corel bythe steed cntay of the Scmomie Ieadeship of norte Europe and the predominance of Dastansisn, But argues tht the key clement war not the ethic tnotvating or justiving eneeprencurip but “the weaken of the ‘hil ont of hiroerate nstations which are all inspized by a8 Inense amagonsm to Mammon” combined with religous tlerance st openmest in rela it foreigners.” This the Refrmstion en Suinaea bot more ipectny Gos te Coomcelcberaedon ctr futed Tas tolerance and openness made posible the dition [etweon the cli sity andthe tt, bors stray, be says (ting [ean Bacchi), out ofthe aby ele a eiinat the ober" ‘Rev ace een deo tiga emp a‘Pelican argues dat enpitalim fd ays previously been tare by “megamachiny” a teen he boeots rom Lewis Musafrdy which eat insecurity of propery” thus parang inne The quer tion is why this dia’ happen in Western Burope. The answer stat thete exif no mepamachine becsoe of “ene ditegaion of the ‘Western Roman Epis" something tha we may consider “asprovi= ena” nthe “by ibering European people ra the ton cage fered, diem the opparanty to constct =. medeen industrial soci” “Thi ola of Rome hae “he ont importa” fhe ators that accounts forthe bie of captain inthe West” The second was the fac tht dhe mara stra between the Papacy nd the Holy Roman Enperoe was a draws wove uate vitor wee the “boorgeai onnimane” Futhcrnre at that time, was in cena nortern ay that "the protaborgensshenefted fom a parser favorable Ms tore conjuncture and ew Bow to tke masa advantage of Soltis Rome once opin ot ins ese Beene eta legney (pone for Anderson, neeative for Moctalane, bot which the English fort fatty escaped) but simply Becte ft colaped. And once the Tas ‘Sstates pad the ing come eight cenares ltr 0), capitalism The pram with “lization” explanations that they tend tobe thee prope a, and hey therefore assume tat he developments tre someon neil. Ke alway dil ascertain i hs geste [f explnation why the proces wat a0 ale: Between the deep To (Germans family pattems or the dsiategaion of he Roman Empire) sind the fina prot (Engl capitan in the nineteenth century ‘renin the sixteen entry), there fa ong intra fine. We ar lt Site tiie gees eer ee rome sepa with the impression thatthe deep rot Ie othe fina product by a proces of sow maturation, a though were organically eopramsne "he least one ca say about su a maturational procs i hata tong case needs to be offered that such “programming” actually perc. Ba isin fac seldom argued, mers press, and ths the explana ti not very persuasive. It might be more reasonable to sre with 2 premise hati found in Pelicans hmsele “Wherever we looky we Bnd trees of capitalism, but we aso find that economic fe somehow "Coope i by rigid pia, elgoun and noi race whi alle Ile space fr the game of eatallac [he rience of commeriat chanel?" Inher won all other known esters Have “cnt” anita tendencies, in th senses ofthe word cota, hy bave had these tendencies they have effectively constined them. If x0 the in Western Europe such that the contanset bare was overwhelmed? ‘This pushes usin the drecon of excepuomal circumstances, «eae ming together of process, or wht war refered to preoly 8 & Sonja epanation Conjunctural explanations There ae strong vices, rom diferingidcoloicl camp, asking 819 recognise how sly an the emergence of 2 capstasv™moseen”™ Istria system Eenest Gener rae tat our mode! be "he forte tow, contingent opening of normally shu gate" Michael Mann speaks of it being" gigantic se of coincidences” even ihe insists there “Seis very doubutl whether we can speak of anion! teeny of Feudal o deel int cpt” Rather he tel usw Took forte "Tandamental contradiction in this particular [Westen] foe of feudal soci" which eeounts fo she outome, even ashe adits that "ihe "We sal thecove daca four clement of an explaining ez singin cach the partials conunctral “exageerston” of = lone Sanding srocural factor, We hal formate cach a ollps, and sce what was the et ofthe cumulated collapses. The four te the collapse St thesegnior, the eollpse ofthe stats the clipe of the Chvteh, tnd the alps of the Mang "Wehave sen alrenly hatte relative power of sigains or aitoceas wer "pesani” or at leet over stall agricultural producers it 8frequen ted consideration. We ate also aware ofthe vst Meatre om what Mare Bloch called “the cris of sean revenes” in the period cre 1250 to dren 1450s, Bverwne apc there ws dem raphe cllape in Westen Europe resulting primary from the Blick Dent. Whether this io be ented pinay sn vale as cause or onsequence san sue that hasbeen sch debate vith pasion, toc for the purposes ofthis argument the resoltion ofthis question tnatere ile Theres was clear. There were fewer pes tl the Ian: Heg revenue om heir ets had fo fl, even the segs ad Creating new tenures was by and lege out of the question. Indeed, ‘ute the opposite was happening: lands were being "abandoned hat, lek uncatieates, Tas stanton, each sie ted what political earde were ae nial the feudal ods rm wo the states The St wich was evn al pr wenn Harpe a thine fourth ‘nr iterenc es Bla of te Vote ng ager re ack Beater mecngrem me ‘eifeme The pemey t taped ee ft hy ‘The seignioe’s appeal dhe states for thei intervention Ted boease the dramas demographic collapse gave the peasantry a stone Weapon ‘he ability to Bargnnwithone selmi asnt another Tis ed hot ' seduton fa rents (a ine wen fhe otal ber af eetpayer ws Slrealy declining) andthe dsappenrance of various serie restictions ‘The two combined “alowed te retention of surloe om the peasant toling which ikon cal he declining exponablty of the po “The peste eval did nt have to woud the senate of ching. state poe, Tel ery occurence changed the pp de rcs wich tshy Dati init that i in the “revet among the ery producer” ‘tha we mst fix ur atenton in sestng to explain the 'ention and Sd hard. But the me modes ffs aecimulted:nom-culvation ‘f margion lands eduction of roms outon of the price of land, Increase of arear in ental payments by tenants indict increase of demands by sural commits. Bois ses long rend which culminated Inamejoe collapse "between 1415 apd 1450. “The lanlors in nana eoubl, fing to tr the Se of ng ‘exe ofthe surpis by the peastory, tured on each ther Tit rte quite cari. In his explanation of the crs of feud, Pery sues Irie the decade 1535-155 that he Ng ft We iii Dance sl aed ne, ec ef cesta Peroy ny porcular emphasis on the Sscalcontguencss, bat one shoul ot neglect hat the wars hd wo the signa consequence. st al the wartime irapton of proton reduced rvene s furbet es by ili off sal producers than by making ie more Sic for them fo Work or wade sone ecard. In aon, ower the wars partculay the Hundred Yer’ Wer and he Wars ithe Roses, ut ote these led ff the arora. The sere eduction in their numbers (over and above losses fm the Pape) Faroe wenhencd them polly einer the dct prodacer ‘An ial his were not enough, ral wages went up ste for two centarie, bah inthe towns and fr rural wage workers. note Nersan peatant, comparing 1320 wit 465 rm one centr 4 the net i wage Ces inca) oe han Wa Fog toed man, dat ced an i presse He ‘tn cent an ne in he nok wal auld we oot proume 8 eet rade or wore Drenthe Rene doe ct ‘Dobbs that i was “the inoceney of feudaom as system of| duction.” long with the growing needs foe seigniral revenue, that tis "primary responsible for decine™° Perhapy,altvough this ‘counts ls for permanent decline than foe excel owt, Steer inns that the decline ws de to “the inabiy of the ring clase #0 Maia contol over, and ence to overeploi snietys abot Footer" No doube his happened, but we must wonder why this Ini wa8 so profound at ds puscla me Tn ance x arly truss Ble pus i tha athe end of tbe Mile Ages ee eal ricer found that thore oer them were an enced ise deeply shaken in tele forranes and mentally poorly prepared to make the SMmimeaeh femme, masMapations called for by an unprecedented siunion"™* The great ‘ctor ths struae was the yooman farmer (or labourer) the peasant Wat the met plow (chee, the coal ofa plo large enouah 30 that he had supus to matte and often needed wage laboring assistance tocompleteteharest Gis wee no eg osm the ecctcy tebe the ile ofthe sats could only add to thle poi dscommtor Hf otto 53) hai ple dsperaon. The sates were never song in Europe Uvoughouc the Mile Ages, Bu hey were suonger a some ames than others The epanson ofthe exinomy in Farope between 1090 snd 1250 wich rated new revencbater fr the ats ted new ned for internal denon the one han and the outward expansion of "Europe" (he Crusades, colonization in the east and far north) which tale for some mitary nition, onthe mer, combined to reste 4 Upto’ andar, but hey mattered These stronger stats besa to relapse again into symbolic sells when the great down cme see 125, Tn caplsning the desine ofthe power of he seigiors, oe ts 90 nchgoune acibhea Ome bof comes "the rocaghereng of tat ‘nidding pasate" te second i the “hypertrophy ofthe state (yal fhsolatim." One of our dfiules in imerpreting What west on between 1250-1300 and 1450 in the plea arena our iological imntence on interpreting "Wentern™ history ap oe Tons, stely ‘sar sevng for democrat pita stony lathe beeing, ‘Stowned asthe all-powerful monarch, whose power hs been tesdly feduced ever since. Hut wa not Ike that at al Tn the Beponing (1000-1250), there was 4 weak monarch seeking t exablish ome femblance of ental authority. These “sovereign” hed severe acs {the period 1250-1950, Tes tue, as we tall seus, halter 1350, ‘ke powers ge aguin and quite considerably, but this was predbely tbectoe the period 1250-1450 reveled the danger tat he weakness of ‘What hid ben accomplished in te peso 1000-1300? Some pi tial entes had begun to have an enduring exitence, and hence 4 eran legac. England and France were the foremost expe. Sse notes thatthe Beginnings of « buenucacy had Been patio pics chancery coordinating ettemanages,Saancn agents oad ‘siniseatory abd jen. This bad occurred to some degree eer ‘there i Westen Euope Then came the great econo depesion “The Wer api and the modern nen e Suner conchae that “Europeans had reste thei sate stem only In the nick of time" but he hunse provdey the evidence tht the ‘edaling state stem was Soely alice by the economic dowat, tat. "many of the wats of the fourtenth and fitenth ceneares ‘hecho ef tet Sak the procest of at bung”? There ws ¢ resurgence of baronial power: Weakened curds the peatnty, the ‘iplos could aries become stronger i-d- the ngs deed Say ‘ofthe economic ctr which enabled the peasants wo gaa advange sn {heir delings with their signe laalord enale the lator to e3in ‘One sul was ut the iaternal coheivnee the central power wat serious undermined by a now “dangerously wide™ zap bereen tbe policymakers and ther bureaus Fey we maby thc Kg ott Council ny compe of ut of ‘earl ar a cs incr aims abd tls pent picks ae greed OF ‘ole eto a a et wh he a a CCeaty the ineented pores ofthe signin ter ichson in pli tnaking ws decive i this proces. Ts can be yer in the face hae there war a porule “souness inthe development of the departments ‘eaing with defense and foreign as.” which Stayer regards 9 & “real pumie’ Butit inno pute ata Ina petod of extensive ware and sate dsimesration, these ae precisely the arenas in wich “ends ‘baronial fac” would beast wing 1 ee the royal bureaucracy frengthened since ic Would vee her own marae of maneuver for tpmard maby "Tho twas that “most governments becazne hank" hat hey ye “incapable of cooling thee mercenary, their cutee, he Fadia sytem, [bad the were run by chiques and ied bay fom dy te day” And thief war that "there et feborn in ue wscrics of Frincplies, ierowates thae were autonomous, ee independent, tnd thee this phenomenen eveataly undermined the dhsion af = gdom ty mutual consent"[No wander that Stayer coull marized period by saying tha “the movement toward new iype of poll auboriy was checked junta seomed np be acquiring eile momentam. Dut he Fourteenth and cry fice confurs,vcelar government ret tweaker eather thin tanger” No wonder Fomier could sce Bs “scusion ofthe poiical station on tis somber nee ‘Wha al neste Se fr sn th prin 1250-152 iis wo te haat tt ented, comin does ate pry en ‘Eee alan mabe pny stint a) an evayatcieponereod te resi ft pre ‘One might think thatthe seignioevaritocrats woul! have been ove jose ith tei irene liberation from cane! authority an ke I'he “herd pevage” which they “wcncked™ eo fhe hve then wih the emergence of representative asemin” hese ts that Guenée sey became “demotacies of he prvleged”™ Nor tal, sine hal, sccompaned bythe coltpe of he Charch, This well ony it ot faye termed a colspse But lus rect on what happened. i he final epoch of the Roman Empire, Chisianity bad Become the sae ‘eligon, ‘This wat normal nthe tense that most wor erp Bad eal “churches” that i, «st of religous fanctonaris wo Prope thick constrained dbsntgrae forces. A notable example is Con Sans, but Ht scarey The only one. Among eer things, these Feigon constrained capital thrusts inthe form af preaching spans Seance ( be tare moe the svrice of pate persons tan the sri ff emperan). The ol Roman Cod synom had love Bald fn the Roman Enpire for many fesons. One surely was the mistake of begining to dei Ising o ust deceased emperors which turned the fds ino pola gues and ered thei necessary minimal cstnce Fos mnterilexence, When Christin snged ft fl hee, Constantine sovedw co-opt asthe te ion ‘Chstaniy hod created an iterated hieaeical struct and thus seas able to survive the fall of the Roman Eni, ‘The rst wes Sigde situation, in which » hierarchical word religion became the {Saaon. Fora lng Ue, the Christian Church as therefore strong ‘ough to defend is organizations, cconome, and ewig interes ‘eainst any ison of partcle pial authorises. The “curl fonsequencs for ltr imelectal development were wo be consider ‘hi sape Peery Anderson Mont ana would src ‘Mot woul ln asume hat the consequences were poste. The mul argument poe along the lines thatthe oa ceneordace of char tout tte im the Middle Ages prepared the round historia forthe ‘modeen separation of church and tat, hence fr secularism a the bass tf caps, india cezaton There x however an alkene ‘ey of long at thir evolution. One could save tat the Cures ‘yutetona trength vrd-o te raiple pleal ents was fact ‘sf Baw The fact hart wasuldotely no subordinate oy political authority” sin some Sense had always been the case with feligions| hitherto and esewhere tally undercuts aby serve the oll "The constraint began to disappear quite es. Nuceio argues that steed in the late Mile Ago there orured “profound detachment ‘com the elgious and eical atude inthe fed of politcal ews ‘And this detachment took pace fst af all, of couse, where the ‘tai tra seemed tong rom the ch cer adn isn ereprnery win ‘tte on the bs fs meray che tach boon pom he dock and ‘Semon by eso mera they ha ended bs he But why wns the Chorch so weak? For one thing beemue the Church swat 4 mjor economic seer nl and war hurt bythe economie dw turn i he sume way tat otk signin (repens of Fen) sd States (a ecient fates) were hurt. To defend is own organizational It the Church became a thi time even mare invelved i economic he gif ec the Ch pa Me an a mee fe ‘hen tar ly fra pe seem peers Wiese et {mle foe at tne Bre, sing thie er pod he Clogs {Guth of St Denadan ieee seed pop om a property? The tel cn 280ml iy me ayy oy ‘kia roperion Or oft ous by ope Chane Veo chen I {300m oes morgen the even of asm? Oa NY sino gmt te grea Pon mewhan Jaques Crear (1395-1450) 2 wie The cht he func rick wat damaging to the papacy. Ril oeony eet de fhe ri rhe panty By hen on herby be Pm com the pn psec pel alts Sirs pan wm ee me tual nth a he es nk “The various heretical set, which received a renewed impulse inthis rs, were lrely eel, at-athortvian, and often “corms.” {ne period cf cronumic thine, the iereecne warfare of the Foling strat for the desing hobal revenues wat rected in ceased Confit beoneen the Church and the temporal rulers, and by ret ‘Miu within the Church il, ‘This wae the pert ofthe Gre Schan of the West (1378-1417), which involved, among other oer fhe ertion of power by caninals and Stops against the Pope, pull tothe seton of baronial power agaist he ing. ad the Church been subordinate to the temporal rut, might stl have hat more mor athocy Teme hve been ava fo {ke ae the constraining moral fore. The Chures very independence ‘Manformed the Chute into one more secular contender or power and ‘wealth "So far fom Tey’ comment abou the Chueh belng unable to compromise with eptl being tue, I seems only to certain tha ‘Sonpromie ad been of ile diffcuy in the accomplishment ‘ial imposible to break" Knowle, ia hala af he ast 0 “onrin of the medieval Church, conta 0 this note “This they irthe religious elimate of te teenth entry church sick indeed, 1 head snd members, and rving for reform, Dut with no feat of = {testo auch seta soon to osu" The net rsa wa the Sac ‘Rome in May 1527, "he terminal point ofthe Alsieval Papacy (Overaly 1250-1450 as» mtr prod for the ung classes of ‘Western Europe, calle Thee incomes were squceed. Tey were invued in an exceptionally high level of internecine sage, which eauelyaflected thelr wealth thee suthoriy, and thi ves. They Were faced with popular evo peasant rebellions, ert move men. Public diordr was high, av was public itletual surnol ‘What had been std as malig away. There was. a "is" in the torical sytem. Pera mos theatening 0 the seigis, who were ‘he lk ofthe rang tts, ws the ie of tore “one Had begun eal ‘he ‘cocks™™- the beter off peasants (emten farmers, abo), he “Te West capa, and he mode ory ” umber and sae of whose unis of production had groin, aed who ‘wemtherd the ceonomni tr beter (indeed profited fom AS sen Wythe arstcratelandors, Western Europe Was moving in the dice tin of pare ofthe a.nd here seemed 9 x low down thierend™ “Th olspse of alg laa ot ul itor: Tapes if ot feguety, atleast replay: Normal, what happened in sory tas that ellipse allowed forthe posit exter conquest And ich congus, or nvaony when the dt sted putin plce some ew ruling ta who could pone thei explettion elena ope the der prac "Thi dil aot occur fm Western Europe at shi tine. We sal discuss ths ruil nonevea unde te slic ube ofthe alse ofthe ‘Mang. Abu-Lhod srpe that 1250-1550 represented the apse Sf "worddaytem? that connected in a non-herarcical fon the Chinese, ti, Arabo-Pein, and European subregions on the basis ‘flong-stane wade. She argues that tbe inlsion of the Mongols in ths sat pond crucial element in its psa faction ics it ‘fectiely added “northern” routs, rooming 8 nk tha had previo este in Roman-tlan met: The amin epetaon of tp leat rote tras Cen Ae ‘ete nore ano See rout er he Mie ts ‘Rabin India Ocon he Ro Soran the Para Cal) mean a ony (age elongate rnp he cer rt sol Be thyme Te Reha ele he meat con ot a EXT pd te ade wl yeh ef nd [Nove of the “subregions” was capitalist in stuctre. All permite Iwowever, the fancioing of longiance merchants. The cert bathed by a ew market rialton in China, bet by the ipeone ‘ments in fternal watery Both laked up to 4 Moslem wading ‘tumene ares the Milde East, Chin's commercaizton reinforce thiemade! and, in MeNeis ods, acted ike great Bellow, fanning ‘Siolrng coi ito ame" The Mongol ink completed the pctre. ‘What deupted this vast ating worklsytem was the pandemic tg Death fl yt prbubly a cnseguence of that ety wading rg, tl emit rei eg th he ge © Rlagiad me Ne Pe52 Inman Waters network It har everywhere, hut i completly eliminated the Mongo The sock appemed in the sso sid of se fret centry wih the ‘ile cements af the saci, the army Demographiclly weakened the ‘longs wee abe ots ir ce rhe somal, chy ay hu Bean prea Suche aarbed the seth pre af peo ‘Serenata hh re pede bh aed leogshtmce tn st my inc, awe dot cbc ‘Etro Bc en Sea he mid tal wn ‘The Mongol nk might have broken down i any city sve the fct that the Mongols faced technical limits they ever vercame i Sus taining routnized extensive empl. In any ease, tbe Blick Death fccuted ad is fects wer immotiate. The nepave economic ees croured thoughout the evil ting system, We bare lend Gesrbed the impact is Western Europe las ot 0 illeent for Chine: hint rede om hero “Secpmener in pea Segond iene sn oh mer i ‘Frente dnt enn sn gnc 3 RESIS sen no my: per Ces Te ace ream basse pe ie ae hr the fo long ti Sa ens ncn es el end oo But what is allthis to do with the emergence of caplet in ‘Western Earope? What AbuLughod i calling the “Fall ofthe Eas” which she says precede the “Rise af the West! hada snightorward poco impliain, I eaaed the varios asbreions” to pall Inno themelses. None ad the strength that moment to enage Smyril expansion. Western Europe war unhreatened the cic fperod 1350-1450, when would preely have Been mos vulnerable because of dhe wile cllapse it vas undergoing. The local West European arsocresiruing stata would be nether replaced po en> svete yan out fee They faced the ring husk seta ose 28 ‘We must now renew the question why did not capitalism emerse anyhere carer Tt sems une thatthe apswer Is an insuicert technologie bse, Tis not lear what Kind of be "ese in any Gov. Furthermore, tet of the fechnlogial bee of the copii! ‘moder’ histori! stem i he commeguence of emergence, a ely she cause. Te is uly hat the answer isan absence of an fnrerenetrl pr. The istry of the word frat east to thousand Jers price €2 15008 shows an enormous vet of groupe theonghout Irolpe hstrcal stems, who showed an spite and inciaion fe ‘pias enterprise as producer a merchants a finances. “Prot fapialen™ was so widespread that one might consider ie to be a nnnittve element of al the rentbtivtriutary worl empie he troll har inown If therefore thse prot-spitalit clement were “rable to asuime ihe “commanding belghs Ao oly ofthese rao Tsoi sem a sytem bu even of thee productive unit ie mus te tht something was preveting i For they did have money ‘Who would have wanted to place nits onthe ceasces accumulation sf calle The anse 6 obous all those who eld exiting power in Snyhistrical stem. The censless accumulation of capital neva fevome part off and does 80 ceslely. Power sn rentbutive {es and hat ey wee Ry emer comer the colle ‘chin tin Coil Ae anther bel Chest (ota tale ge crate «pends con iain nba ah 3530syste based ets hut io incomes that are play asgned ‘ha juste, Ta capitals system, pros may be poialyobained, ‘ete, amped, bur they are never usted pol. Eaough prove can be ousted sia. But the military threat wile, understarst- fle, and acceptable: The nsidlous threat of marker gnerced wealth invisible, capricious and whimately tow rational. 1 was therefore despertion of Western Ewopes rullag sate ducing the “cri of Feadatso” why its they sow no way out win the parameters of soa inganzation a they Knew ity and why therefore in tec the Inge Remember, capitalist skis and mathods were nat unkown others they ad merely previously been rejected for fe ofthe long-term Eonsequences of utving them. Mare Bloch dscripion of the cl wht dic arp ph ay he eatin a ‘son handy ping ge wp? Teter hi wou be seownt2 Iga he seo tad hh he evn car he aa Snead ng he the a st eT eo mere hao there ieee Tre ser Hi ere om ng Sort a the alte a cmc mck ee Might be poe Syma ir mann ee a Sedo om ane et okt yey eee Be ‘As one gnor alter another Bega to doth began to pay of, ot in-more font but in mote prot But the sigior vas nether & Pilosopher nora social eens. Aer slong cessing ofthe economic Aeserswheher “rent” oF “roi” the increase income Was FeveDe, Inerese rerense. Now at burgeoning capital and no longer 89 mich srry cone to honor and sens, de seiglor dacevered the inaportance ofthe ste as guarantor ad fcitator of captive lopment. Stayer putt ey Wel he Wes, aay nd te mer eye * shor the ped it I ae aid he rea of Weer Europe ad eco cnc ha eo weak pncrmest nwo th a {ess ct dt wet ‘hen splay wer eter fo aso us sie tthe {Erenom to mae pr wih mig ed wn cl wa Ths ca wee ‘a stat ath ple ra pv an were mpd She gre many ofthe pep. I alfa be" mc wee fine fen dp a toda of Toe fo bal Eline oii tc frmererk fe srr wich hey ha ated [As Peary Anderson say, “the ral ofthe Aol State wae tha of the fea moby the epoch of tanont eaptalamn”” excep hat he ‘Bond ave ted hat i was hat af the feodal nobility Becoming spas eneeprencur ‘What le the gene ut ofthe box was the desperation of the euling tases, Whit mide it pose forthe sgn 0 overcome sei ub by dieacing them the more "invsble” epltation of profs, What Sstained the new stem and allowed io consolidate se was that it “hat within 100 to 150 year, all deat to the postion ofthe ring Sata fom the emergent hulak stata had. dsappeared and. die ‘eisivia (now eptals) share ofthe abot and ene surplus Bad stapled wp once again, to maintain ica a constaily gh levet "Thi i nthe place wo recount the hoy of this irl ester, Something Tam yng wo doin the sucesive volumes of The Modem Wa Sym, There are homer two more qhcrcne which shoul be siscossed, iit One isthe question a ehnoloicl progress. The ‘As Bremner corey sates, the “technologies capable of seniianty ‘absing agricultural product by means of rarely ages tes ‘ment were alae in medieval Burope, and we should ail in many ther parts ofthe world Furthermore, are nds tee techosgues Affe, ib why they were wot more my ap The answer Is ‘rey the dere wee significant socal costa on these innovations. ‘Geaseess promt was polly feared and seemed substan a> ‘ecological wansormadon, there seams le eso to doubt we scefe cleaiy in reospect tha humans ze ingenious and can develop scien knowledge andthe dried technology ‘Buti itraona Te wae one other then Max Weber, that sreat protbonst of rtionalism, whe chirectcrzcd the busines’ “er [ee activity” a he leading of an ronal fe "where a man exis for stones, and not de other way around” We ae wsed to measuring ‘he gai thatthe captast"modern” historical ste has Croup fd to neglecting the fact thatthe gains have gone fo a minor 2 arse ‘minority pethaps, but still a minority of he word's population. We have been eer wing to calculate the cots tothe mor ~ i meri terms in uate. And only reel hake we begua to measure the ‘ns tote blower, "The capitalist worl-system has been wel established now for some 40 oS year It cover the pnbe, The history canna be undone Ine ted toilets hore wht wee some of the peel alingy the fonjunctare of crcumstance, that made ie Western Europe that Inunehed humanity on ds tional venture. This course indices thing of what might be the subeantely tonal kerma poe, ven the fat that ths historical ten ow exis and rn ah Facing frown “crs” fnt nit war by no means neta at he capa "moder hstoxsa stem be bon ager i the ste ent. sorhee eno nestable outcome othe arent “re” “The Wise inated tht coroursssem where “intead of economy ing embedded in socal relatos, otal elton are embed inte commie sytem" All ther leans had sesblyamded this ‘everson. Hong substantively sao this syset ulna) watene tle: T remains to be seen however what more fll raion system ‘mankind can invent now an ii ean,