FEUDALISM AND THE ORIGINS OF CAPITALISM
R. H. Hilton
In spite of preoccupation with the war, there began in 1940 a lively discussion among English Marxists about origins capitalist mode production, its political system and culture. Seminal to this was Christopher Hill's short book The Revolution: 1640*, published for tercentenary Long Parliament, beginning end England's ancien regime. Naturally did not get properly under way until 1946 but from that year series debates many them focussing on problem nature late feudal society England timing transformation. Some took view already bourgeois state 16th century consequently civil war mid-17th defeat counter-revolution. strongest current opinion which identified so-called Puritan Revolution as revolution same kind French at 18th century. addition, however, these were concerned mainly interpretation events 17th century, problems also raised no work more influential than Maurice Dobb's Studies Development Capitalism. This book, turn, provoked critical review ideas feudalism by Paul Sweezy American Marxist journal Science & Society, giving rise famous Dobb-Sweezy controversy, has been re-edited, additions, including introduction, is being New Left Books.
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