Capitalism

Thinking Allowed

BBC

Science, Society & Culture

4.4 • 973 Ratings

🗓️ 7 February 2024

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Capitalism – what's the story behind the word and a cross cultural survey of peoples attitudes to it. Laurie Taylor talks to Michael Sonenscher, Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge about the evolution of a word which was first coined in France in the early 19th century. How has its meaning changed over time and how can a historical analysis shed light on political problems in the here and now? What’s at stake in our understanding or misunderstanding of the term?

They’re joined by the German sociologist and historian, Rainer Zitelmann, whose latest study argues that many people are buying into myths about Capitalism and includes the largest international survey of attitudes towards our economic system. He finds negative attitudes to be widespread, including in Great Britain, the motherland of Capitalism - only in 12 countries are attitudes more critical. What accounts for this disillusion?

Producer: Jayne Egerton

Transcript

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0:00.0	Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of
0:07.0	Happiness Podcast.
0:08.0	For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want
0:14.4	to share that science with you.
0:16.1	And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley.
0:19.4	I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that
0:25.4	calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:30.3	BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts.
0:36.6	This is a Thinking Loud Podcasts from the BBC, and for more details and much, much more about
0:42.4	thinking aloud, go to our website at BBC.co.uk.
0:47.0	Hello, as a Catholic boy growing up in Liverpool I had a what a pretty short list of bad things.
0:53.2	Mortal sin was a bad thing because he got you into hell,
0:56.4	but Everton was also a bad thing because they were the deadly rivals
0:59.9	across the park from my beloved Liverpool.
1:03.0	And then there was capitalism.
1:04.8	Well that was a bad thing.
1:06.2	A bad thing because you see it was well responsible for all the ills of the world,
1:10.1	the poverty of the working class, the excesses of the rich and famous. In later life the list got shorter.
1:16.4	Mortal sin lost its evil luster, Manchester United became the enemy, only one bad thing endured, capitalism. It was the word that I and my friends
1:26.7	turn to when we wanted a quick explanation of every social ill. Back then capitalism was
1:32.1	a word which was used freely by labour politicians, a word which appeared
1:36.0	on banners carried by street demonstrators.
	...

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