Globalen Kapitalismus denken

With three contributions of varying length, Friedrich Lenger exemplifies the fields in which the new series Studien zur Geschichte und Theorie des Kapitalismus (GTK) - opened with this volume - aims to further our understanding of capitalism. At the outset is a review that, in the context of current debates on capitalism, traces the main lines along which economic history research has developed in recent years. In particular, the new perspectives that have emerged as a result of the turning point in global history are highlighted, as are the problems that have remained unsolved. The second contribution is dedicated to Adam Smith who, despite not having experienced the coining of the term capitalism, is nonetheless still a key reference figure in debates. The concluding and lengthiest article analyses the Archiv für Sozialwissenschaft und Sozialpolitik using the primary sources available. When Edgar Jaffé, Werner Sombart, and Max Weber took over the Archiv's editorship in 1903/04, they defined the exploration of capitalism's cultural significance as the journal's key task. However, even well before Joseph Schumpeter and especially later when Emil Lederer served as editors, the Archiv, the most important social science publication in the twentieth century's first-third, dealt with much broader themes.