Focusing on the transition from feudalism to capitalism, this book offers a critical analysis of the ongoing crisis in capitalism and the rise of non-Western capitalist systems. Henry Heller engages with historical debates, providing insights into the complexities of economic evolution in Europe and beyond, making connections to contemporary issues within the capitalist framework.
The book explores the shift in scholarly perspectives on the French Revolution, highlighting the rise of revisionist interpretations that challenge the traditional Marxist view. It discusses how figures like Alfred Cobban, William Doyle, and François Furet have questioned the notion of the Revolution as primarily a bourgeois and capitalist movement. The dominance of revisionism in contemporary academic discourse and its influence on public understanding of the Revolution are also examined, reflecting a significant evolution in historical analysis.
The book explores the cultural, moral, and political dimensions of anti-Italian sentiment in France during the Valois and Bourbon periods. It connects these sentiments to the growing economic nationalism of the French middle class, illustrating how these factors intertwined and influenced societal attitudes towards Italians. Through this analysis, the author sheds light on the complexities of identity and nationalism in historical France.
Henry Heller's study critiques the Annales school's focus on long-term economic and cultural forces in early modern France. He explores the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, revealing significant economic, technological, and scientific advancements. Additionally, Heller argues against the notion that the era's religious conflicts can be interpreted solely through a religious lens, suggesting a more nuanced understanding of the period's complexities.
In this stirring and persuasive defense of the classical Marxist view of the French Revolution as a bourgeois and capitalist revolution, Henry Heller lays to rest the stylish revisionism on the subject that still dominates in academic circles. Based mainly on articles published in the journal Historical Materialism , Heller that the rise of a bourgeois capitalist class in France stretches back to the sixteenth century, and that the Revolution itself played a large role in strengthening this nascent class politically and economically.
The book explores the ongoing crisis in higher education, highlighting issues such as soaring student debt, reduced public funding, and the erosion of tenure. It examines the shift towards adjunct labor and the contentious debates over the value of the humanities versus skills-focused instruction. These challenges are interconnected and reflect a broader conflict between the pursuit of knowledge for its intrinsic value and the commodification of learning in contemporary American universities.
Focusing on the intersection of Marx's economic and political theories with modern scholarship, this concise history of capitalism explores its evolution and the roots of the current capitalist crisis. Henry Heller provides insights into the systemic issues within capitalism, making complex ideas accessible and relevant to contemporary discussions about economic structures and their implications.