Book contents
- The Information Revolution in Early Modern Europe
- New Approaches to European History
- The Information Revolution in Early Modern Europe
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 European Paper
- 3 “Ink-Stained Fingers”
- 4 The Paper of Politics and the Politics of Paper
- 5 Revolutionary Print
- 6 The Book of Nature and the Books of Man
- 7 Writing Others and the Self
- 8 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
3 - “Ink-Stained Fingers”
The Information of Commerce and Finance
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 September 2021
Book contents
- The Information Revolution in Early Modern Europe
- New Approaches to European History
- The Information Revolution in Early Modern Europe
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 European Paper
- 3 “Ink-Stained Fingers”
- 4 The Paper of Politics and the Politics of Paper
- 5 Revolutionary Print
- 6 The Book of Nature and the Books of Man
- 7 Writing Others and the Self
- 8 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
A bold, recent thesis contends that capitalism is defined not by flows of capital but instead by the flow of information, in what the author calls an “information nexus.” Capitalism, he argues, is possible only when there is a sufficient circulation of information between the system’s various stakeholders, along with institutions that abet it, governments that permit it, and practices that encourage it. “The only characteristic that is exclusive to capitalism,” the argument goes, “is the enhanced ability to marshal information.”
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Information Revolution in Early Modern Europe , pp. 56 - 90Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021