Description
The Capitalist Self explores the fascinating origins of financial capitalism in early modern England, arguing that capitalism was fundamentally built on personal relationships and credit networks rather than impersonal market forces. Craig Muldrew demonstrates how English merchants, traders, and ordinary people constructed a new sense of individual economic identity between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.
Through meticulous historical analysis, Muldrew shows how the concept of personal creditworthiness became central to economic life, transforming social relationships into financial transactions. He examines court records, letters, and account books to reveal how trust, reputation, and personal character became commodified in the emerging capitalist economy.
This work challenges conventional narratives of capitalism’s development, offering a fresh perspective on how social interactions and personal networks shaped the rise of modern financial systems. Essential reading for historians, economists, and anyone interested in understanding the roots of contemporary capitalism.
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