Medieval Economic Thought [Paperback]

An introduction to medieval economic thought from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries.This book offers an introduction to medieval economic thought, from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, as it emerges from the works of academic theologians and lawyers and a variety of secular sources--from Italian merchants' writings to vernacular poetry, parliamentary legislation, and manorial court rolls. It discusses ideas of property, charity, the nature and role of money, weights, measures, coinage, trade, the just price and the just wage, and usury. Its aim is to make accessible a relatively neglected subject, and to explore the relationship between theory and practice.This book offers an introduction to medieval economic thought, from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, as it emerges from the works of academic theologians and lawyers and a variety of secular sources--from Italian merchants' writings to vernacular poetry, parliamentary legislation, and manorial court rolls. It discusses ideas of property, charity, the nature and role of money, weights, measures, coinage, trade, the just price and the just wage, and usury. Its aim is to make accessible a relatively neglected subject, and to explore the relationship between theory and practice.This book offers an introduction to medieval economic thought, as it emerges from the works of the twelfth to the fifteenth century academic theologians, lawyers and other sources. Using Italian merchants' writings, vernacular poetry, parliamentary legislation, and manorial court rolls, it discusses property, charity, the role of money, weights, measures, coinage, trade, fair price and fair wage. It makes a relatively neglected subject accessible by exploring the relationship between theory and practice.Preface; Introduction: problems, evidence, and background; 1. Private property versus communal rights: the conflict of two laws; 2. Wealth, beggary and sufficiency; 3. What is money?; 4. Sovereign concerns: weights, measures al¢