Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

The first chapter builds up a definition of capitalism by working from four snapshots to produce and discuss a definition at the end. The second chapter focuses on the origins of capitalism and raises the issue of whether capitalism originalted in Europe. Chapter three looks ar a quite disinctive stage in the development of captalism, a stage that began in the 1980s, in order to understand where we are now and the various stages that have evolved looking at the British railways as a case study to see the relationship between capitalism and the state. Chapter four looks at the problem of the notion of capitalism, which suggests a single and uniform system, yet in reality the main capitalist societies have not taken the same route or arrived at the same destination. It will compare state welfare systems as an example. Chapter 5 looks at whether capital has escaped teh nation-state by going global, emphasizing that globalizing processes are not new, but undoubtedly the mobility of capital has increzses in recent years, as has the mobility of labour. Does this mean that capitalism is global in character? Chapter 6 looks at the crisis tendancies of capitalism, for exaple the S.E. Asian banking crisis, the collapse of the Russian economy and the 1997-1998 global financial crisis and asks whether capitalism is doomed? chapter 7 looks at whether there is an alternative to capitalism, discussing socialism, communal and cooperative experiments and alternatives proposed by environmentalists.

This Introduction explores the origins of capitalism and questions whether it did indeed originate in Europe. It examines a distinctive stage in the development of capitalism that began in the 1980s, in order to understand where we are now and how capitalism has evolved since. The book discusses the crisis tendencies of capitalism--including the S.E. Asian banking crisis, the collapse of the Russian economy, and the 1997-1998 global financial crisis--asking whether capitalism is doomed to fail. In the end, the author ruminates on a possible alternative to capitalism, discussing socialism, communal and cooperative experiments, and alternatives proposed by environmentalists.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

This Introduction explores the origins of capitalism and questions whether it did indeed originate in Europe. It examines a distinctive stage in the development of capitalism that began in the 1980s, in order to understand where we are now and how capitalism has evolved since. The book

discusses the crisis tendencies of capitalism--including the S.E. Asian banking crisis, the collapse of the Russian economy, and the 1997-1998 global financial crisis--asking whether capitalism is doomed to fail. In the end, the author ruminates on a possible alternative to capitalism, discussing

socialism, communal and cooperative experiments, and alternatives proposed by environmentalists.

James Fulcher is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Leicester.

1. What is capitalism

2. Where did it come from?

3. How did we get here?

4. Is capitalism the same everywhere?

5. Has capitalism gone global?

6. Crisis? What crisis?

7. Is there an alternative?