Description
Book SynopsisThis book studies medieval economic thought, from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, as it emerges from the works of academic theologians and lawyers and a variety of secular sources. Its aim is to make accessible a relatively neglected subject, and to explore the relationship between theory and practice.
Trade Review'In its range and clarity Medieval Economic Thought is an excellent introduction to its topic.' The Agricultural History Review
'… well written, very rich of information and really enjoyable for the many references to historical facts about economic policy, mercantile life, customs, etc. It is a good reading for those willing to go deeper in the medieval economic culture, either as an amateur or as a researcher.' History of Economic Ideas
Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction: problems, evidence, and background; 1. Private property versus communal rights: the conflict of two laws; 2. Wealth, beggary and sufficiency; 3. What is money?; 4. Sovereign concerns: weights, measures and coinage; 5. The mercantile system; 6. The just price and the just wage; 7. The nature of usury: the usurer as winner; 8. The theory of interest: the usurer as loser; Conclusion; Appendix: notes on the main writers and anonymous works used in the text; Glossary; Bibliography.
