Market Ethics and Practices, c.1300–1850

Book Details

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

• Author: Simon Middleton

• Language: English

• Edition: 1st Edition

• ISBN: 9781138281578

• Pages: 244

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches

About The Book

Market Ethics and Practices, c. 1300–1850 by Simon Middleton offers a detailed exploration of the evolution and operation of market ethics from the late medieval period through to the modern era. This book examines how market ethics shaped and was shaped by social practices, including rituals of exchange, unofficial expectations, laws, institutions, and formal regulations.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part explores the core principles and regulations of market ethics, investigating the relationship between professed norms and economic behavior in diverse geographical and chronological contexts. Topics covered include medieval European attitudes towards merchant activities, market regulations, the concept of the "common good," and Adam Smith's ideas on moral capitalism. The second part delves into microstudies that provide insights into real-world examples of market ethics, including household and market relations in colonial New England, informal Jewish merchant networks in the Caribbean, and the moral complexities of the slave trade in the early modern world.

Market Ethics and Practices is a key resource for students and postgraduates of late medieval and early modern economic history. By addressing both historical and contemporary debates, it offers valuable perspectives on the historical foundations of our collective economic future. This book is particularly useful for those interested in understanding the complexities of pre-modern economic historiography and its relevance to modern economic practices.