From Feudalism to Capitalism | Part I
From Feudalism to Capitalism | Part I The first question is, “Why should socialists even study the transition?” After all, it happened centuries ago. The answer is that there are many aspects of that now completed dialectical process that parallel the one we are presently in the midst of – aspects that provide vital insights into how far along we are in the next stage of economic evolution. And how rough and uneven such massive transitions are when they involve the total reorganization of society. The second question, “What actually happened back then?” has many parts, all of them hotly debated among Marxist historians, sociologists and economists since WWII. The chief issues are: When did the transition to capitalism happen? Where did it take place first? In towns and cities or in the countryside? In England or on the continent? How long did it take to complete? What were the contributing factors? And finally, was Marx right or does his interpretatio...