The absolutist origin of capitalism
This paper contributes to the literature on the transition from feudalism to capitalism in Western Europe, with a specific focus on the process of primitive accumulation during France’s absolutism, from the 14th to the 17th century. Drawing on Regulation Theory and Marxism and supported by archival...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Association Recherche & Régulation
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Revue de la Régulation |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/regulation/23725 |
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| author | Nicolas Pinsard |
| author_facet | Nicolas Pinsard |
| author_sort | Nicolas Pinsard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper contributes to the literature on the transition from feudalism to capitalism in Western Europe, with a specific focus on the process of primitive accumulation during France’s absolutism, from the 14th to the 17th century. Drawing on Regulation Theory and Marxism and supported by archival research, the article aims to demonstrate that France and England followed different paths in their journey toward capitalism. Due to the premodern structure of the state and the process of political accumulation, a small fraction of the state bourgeoisie amassed wealth, facilitated by war and by levying taxes. Officeholders could thus extract surplus labour, primarily from the peasantry. The transition to an economy where markets became a compulsory stage for tax payment and the resurgence of the state established a regime of rent-exploitation and relationships of indirect, collective exploitation. In France, the state and public finances played a pivotal role in separating the peasantry from its land and means of production. This paper offers new insights into the role of absolutism in Marxist historiography. It argues that absolutism constitutes a distinct social formation from feudalism, paving the way for the transition to capitalism by proletarianizing a part of the French peasantry. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-548087ae45974f50982a56cd57469f33 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1957-7796 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Association Recherche & Régulation |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue de la Régulation |
| spelling | doaj-art-548087ae45974f50982a56cd57469f332025-01-30T14:27:08ZengAssociation Recherche & RégulationRevue de la Régulation1957-77962024-11-013610.4000/11w7hThe absolutist origin of capitalismNicolas PinsardThis paper contributes to the literature on the transition from feudalism to capitalism in Western Europe, with a specific focus on the process of primitive accumulation during France’s absolutism, from the 14th to the 17th century. Drawing on Regulation Theory and Marxism and supported by archival research, the article aims to demonstrate that France and England followed different paths in their journey toward capitalism. Due to the premodern structure of the state and the process of political accumulation, a small fraction of the state bourgeoisie amassed wealth, facilitated by war and by levying taxes. Officeholders could thus extract surplus labour, primarily from the peasantry. The transition to an economy where markets became a compulsory stage for tax payment and the resurgence of the state established a regime of rent-exploitation and relationships of indirect, collective exploitation. In France, the state and public finances played a pivotal role in separating the peasantry from its land and means of production. This paper offers new insights into the role of absolutism in Marxist historiography. It argues that absolutism constitutes a distinct social formation from feudalism, paving the way for the transition to capitalism by proletarianizing a part of the French peasantry.https://journals.openedition.org/regulation/23725Regulation TheoryFrancerentstateprimitive accumulationabsolutism |
| spellingShingle | Nicolas Pinsard The absolutist origin of capitalism Revue de la Régulation Regulation Theory France rent state primitive accumulation absolutism |
| title | The absolutist origin of capitalism |
| title_full | The absolutist origin of capitalism |
| title_fullStr | The absolutist origin of capitalism |
| title_full_unstemmed | The absolutist origin of capitalism |
| title_short | The absolutist origin of capitalism |
| title_sort | absolutist origin of capitalism |
| topic | Regulation Theory France rent state primitive accumulation absolutism |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/regulation/23725 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicolaspinsard theabsolutistoriginofcapitalism AT nicolaspinsard absolutistoriginofcapitalism |