Abstract
Discarding those approaches that locate the origins of capitalism in Early Modern Europe, this lecture reveals how the processes of capitalism were globally co-constituted. Rescuing the history of capitalism from Eurocentric narratives, the lecture shows how the network of connections and exchanges, stimulations and inspirations, and the many watersheds and turning points were shaped and often driven by people and processes in the wider world. Taking the story of capitalism to be a foundational and pivotal aspect of the making of the modern world, the lecture ultimately suggests that we need to embrace new perspectives to come to terms with our present and think creatively about our future.
Bio
Sven Beckert is one of the foremost historians of global capitalism and, in the past two decades, has played an important role in shaping the field of study of capitalism in a global historical context. He is the Laird Bell Professor of History at Harvard and the founder of Harvard University's Weatherhead Initiative on Global History, one of ³ÉÈË´óƬ's Global History Initiative's partners. Any discussion on the future of the study of capitalism cannot proceed without engaging with his contributions to the field.
