How to link the “jealousy of trade” to social and spatial equilibrium? Habsburg Cameralists on equality, redistribution and economic development in the 17th and 18th century

Description

It is generally assumed that economic development in Central Europe, and in particular the Habsburg-governed territories, has been shaped decisively by cameralism. While cameralism has been traditionally framed as an economic doctrine focusing on state-driven protectionism, privileges for big business and subsidies for manufactories, a renewed interest during the last years has pointed out cameralism’s focus on spatial economies, their productive mobilization and their trans-regional entanglement by questioning corporate institutional settings. This paper picks up this new research trend, but focuses on how to establish a spatial and social equilibrium in the course of a process of reinforced growth and structural change. This paper explores the evolvement and changes of cameralist concepts regarding spatially and socially rooted inequalities and focuses on the links between political economy, state-building and socioeconomic changes during the late 17th and the late 18th century. Both dimensions – space and society – are analysed by a comparative analysis of key texts of influence cameralist thinkers such as Becher, Hörnigk, Schröder, Justi and Sonnenfels.

Period	12 Apr 2019
Event title	The rise of economic inequality. Contributions from the history of the social sciences
Event type	Conference
Location	AustriaShow on map