Means and Ends: The Idea of Capital in the West, 1500–1970

The idea of capital dominated the imagination of Western society throughout the era of its greatest economic development, from the Industrial Revolution up to the 1970s. Means and Ends provides a unique and comprehensive interpretation of this idea, examining it both within and outside a political economy framework, and tracing its rise and evolution from the sixteenth century through to the modern era. Based on a wealth of primary sources, this is a stimulating work of cultural and intellectual history which sheds new light on one of the guiding concepts of our age.