In this 1911 classic study, German economist and sociologist Werner Sombart describes how Jewish influence was instrumental in ushering in the transition from pre-capitalist civilization to modern capitalism during the Age of Discovery, and in some cases even earlier.
The book is neither anti-Semitic nor philo-Semitic. Sombart is not without a certain respect and sympathy for the Jews, even though he is ultimately more sympathetic to the pre-capitalist civilization they were crucial in destroying. Sombart has been called a "Nazi" by some, and just as ignorantly mistaken for a Jew by others (he was neither).
This is an indispensable study, neither crudely hateful nor politically correct about its subject. It is vital for understanding why a mutual antagonism so often exists between Jewry and the outlook I have called Aristocratic Socialism. If one finds both the Jew-baiting and the "Nazi"-hunting rhetoric insufficient for answering this question, this book is an excellent alternative.
Thanks for the book recommendation, Mr Stern.
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