Sven Beckert's 'Capitalism: A Global History' Reviewed by Corey Robin
In his review of Sven Beckert's extensive 1,325-page work, 'Capitalism: A Global History,' Corey Robin examines the evolution of capitalism from 12th-century Aden to modern times. He challenges Beckert's assertion that medieval Muslim traders were 'the world's first capitalists' and questions the lack of clarity in differentiating 'war capitalism' from 'industrial capitalism.' Beckert posits that capitalism was inherently global, originating with Aden's merchants around 1150. However, Robin finds this argument weak, pointing out that long-distance trade has roots in antiquity. He commends Beckert's insights into how European states and capitalists reshaped production, particularly through plantation slavery in the Americas, while emphasizing the economic significance of the Haitian Revolution. Ultimately, Robin suggests that Beckert's ambiguities indicate a broader crisis within the 'new history of capitalism' discipline.
Key facts
- Sven Beckert is the Laird Bell Professor of History at Harvard.
- Beckert's 'Capitalism: A Global History' begins in 1150 with merchants in Aden, Yemen.
- Beckert claims these merchants were 'the world's first capitalists.'
- The book spans from 1150 to the present, with 600 pages covering 1760–1973.
- Beckert argues capitalism 'was born global' and can only be understood globally.
- Robin criticizes Beckert's distinction between 'war capitalism' and 'industrial capitalism.'
- Beckert notes that by mid-19th century, 1.1 million wage workers labored in Europe's coal mines and textile industries, while 3.3 million enslaved or bonded workers produced coffee, sugar, cotton, and indigo.
- The Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) is described as a key event that shifted production to Cuba, the US South, and Brazil.
- Robin compares Beckert's work to Eric Hobsbawm's 'Age of' tetralogy.
- The review references the 'new history of capitalism' subfield that emerged after the 2008 financial crisis.
Entities
Institutions
- Harvard University
- The Nation
- Brooklyn College
- CUNY Graduate Center
Locations
- Aden
- Yemen
- Cape Verde
- São Tomé
- Potosí
- Barbados
- Cuba
- United States
- Brazil
- Haiti
- Glasgow
- England
- China
- Japan
- Hokkaido
- Germany
- Italy
- Genoa
- Florence
- Portugal
- Spain
- Netherlands
- Dutch Republic
- Baltic Sea
- Eastern Europe
- Southeast Asia
- Africa
- Americas
- Caribbean
- Senegal
- Madagascar
- Mozambique
- South Asia
- Liberia
- Korea
- Manchuria
- Congo
- Belgium
- France
- Britain
- United Kingdom
- Chile
- Cambodia
- India
- Surat
- Poland
- La Réunion
- Turin