On The Middle Ages Moral Of The British Urban Economy Trend

There are lots of discussions about economic molds of Western European traditional society. According to Professor Fernand Braudel' theory, there are two economic molds in the Western European traditional society. The first one, ruled by market law, is the market economy of direct exchanging face by face, and the relationship between common people and this kind of market is close. The second mold is the market economy of Big Exchange, which has a close relationship with the group of big merchants, but a far distance with common people. This mold of market economy mostly benefits the minority, but little for majority. In the early modern time, the second mold of market economy becomes the main stream of Western European's economy, protected by the government, and the Rise of Western European is caused by this mold of market economy. Opposed to Braudle' theory, Karl Polanyi offered another theory. In Polanyi's opinion, market is in the state of "embedding" the society. Exchange is not for the profit, but for the needing. Market just supplies requirement of all members of the society, not for someone's wealth or fortune. The action of speculation was controlled by social mechanism. In the early modern time, market had "disembedded" from the society. Economic system was ruled by market law, and all the society was ruled by the market law. As a result, instead of economy being embedded in social relations, social relations are embedded in economic system. The whole Western European society bogged down in the times of turmoil because of this great transformation. Contrast with other European countries, England had passed this upheaval successfully, for England legislated timely and protected the old social value; and traditional social mechanism has been inherited well.The English historian, E.P.Thompson, studied the Riots of Grain Market of England in early modern time, found the Moral Economy in England at that time. This kind of economy is different from modern economy, and the commerce of this kind of economy is for the basic requirement of the members of society, especially the poor, as well as the low class. Thompson regards this kind of economy as a kind of Customs in Common of traditional society.This thesis studies the medieval economic organization, law, culture of England, according to the theories of Polanyi and Thompson. By the research of the thesis there was a Moral Economy in the medieval city of England. There were moral orientation and inclination of moral orientation and inclination of commerce, business of medieval city, preferring collective beneficent to individual interest. There were close relations between this kind of economy and culture, religion, and this moral inclination of economy motivates the rise of modern industry and commerce of England.Chapter 1, discusses two theories of Fernand Braudel and Karl Polanyi, and the researches of the issue of Moral Economy, raising the question of moral orientation and inclination of towns' economy in medieval England.Chapter 2, inspects the background of economy of England in medieval age. There were several distinguishing features of Agriculture, which was the main estate of medieval economy in England, and there were moral orientation and inclination in this kind of economy, preferring collective benefits to individual interests. The commerce, the business in medieval cities, mainly based on agriculture, had also this kind of moral orientation and inclination.Chapter 3, study the traditional factors of Moral Economy of medieval England. The Germanic social custom constructed the little convention of Moral Economy in medieval England. The Classic culture of Greek and Rome, and the culture of Christianity, constructed the big convention of Moral Economy in medieval England. This cultural convention preferred the just or charity than profit, preferred agriculture than commerce.Chapter 4, according to what I have analyzed the Statutes of Realm and Urban Laws in medieval England, there were moral orientation and inclination, moral bounds in these statutes and laws. All of the goals and processes of these laws, wanted to keep these moral orientation and inclination of towns' economy.Chapter 5, researches the relationships between gild and moral orientation and inclination of towns economy. Gild was the most important organization in medieval towns of England. This charter, consider that there was a moral care, loving care in these bylaws and regulations by researching and analyzing the bylaws and regulations of gild. These items, limiting competition, imposing members of acting in unison, present this moral orientation and inclination. The culture of the gild was a culture preferring the just or charity than profit.Chapter 6, researches the relationships between Church and moral orientation and inclination of towns economy. Church was the important social organizations in medieval European society. According to researches from the organizations of Church, religious actions of Church, economic thoughts of Church, concludes that Church influenced the towns economy in medieval England a lot, and restricted the Market very much, prevented it from 'disembedding'.The last part, based on these above chapters, discusses the internal relationship between moral orientation & inclination of towns economy and the Rise of the business in England in the earlier modern time.