CapitalismCapitalism

Sven Beckert’s book presents a global history of capitalism, arguing that it emerged from early intercontinental trade networks before exploding into a transformative world system through the state-backed, violently exploitative plantation complex of the Caribbean, which fueled European industrialization. He traces how capitalism expanded by reshaping societies, relying on coercion, imperial power, and fossil fuels while erasing older economic forms, yet always provoking resistance and remaining uneven in its reach. By decentering Europe and highlighting agency across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, Beckert shows capitalism as a human invention rather than a natural order, emphasizing that its apparent universality is historically constructed and open to change.