A debate whether markets or political violence brought the first capitalist economy into existence excludes the principal causes. Capitalism was a result of the development of productive powers in feudal England, their pressure against feudal economic relations, and the weakness of the latter in England compared with other countries. The so-called Dobb-Sweezy debate on the origins of capitalism, with important contributions on the Dobb side by R. Hilton, is swept aside, and so is historical materialism. No wonder liberals pretending to be Marxists and some academics love to go pro or con on the Brenner thesis.
L.P. wrote: "The Brenner thesis is kaput ... as I will explain in a day or two." _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
