The Rhodes Center Podcast with Mark Blyth A global history of capitalism
11 snips
Jan 26, 2026 
Sven Beckert, Laird Bell Professor of History at Harvard and author of Capitalism: A Global History, offers a globe-spanning, centuries-deep take on capitalism. He traces merchant origins, colonial and Atlantic transformations, the role of silver and plantations, and how institutions and ideas normalize capitalist orders. The conversation moves between local case studies and sweeping global synthesis.
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Merchants Preceded Industrial Capitalists
- Capitalism's logic emerged among merchants long before industrial manufacturers dominated the story.
- Sven Beckert argues we must study merchant communities globally to see capitalism's roots.
From Marginal Logic To Global System
- Capitalism was once marginal and gradually became dominant by subsuming other institutions and practices.
- The book traces how that marginal capitalist logic expanded to structure almost all aspects of life.
Potosí As A Global Capitalist Node
- Potosí became the world's largest silver source and a hub linking Europe to Asian markets.
- Beckert describes Potosí as a lively city selling luxury goods from China, India, and Europe under capitalist arrangements.
