1 Robert Brenner’s Thesis on the Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism

Abstract

This chapter discusses what Robert Brenner means by social-property relations, and what he has also termed relations of reproduction, and its distinction from term 'relations of production'. This is particularly important, because core of criticism of Brenner stems from an unfortunate and frustrating misunderstanding of its usage. The transition from feudalism to is seen simply in terms of introduction of free labour by lords as a technological response to improve productive efficiency. The theoretical and historical framework and analysis was broadly concerned with two main issues: relationship between agrarian class structure and 'long-term economic development in late medieval and early modern Europe'; and breakthrough from 'traditional' economies to self-sustaining growth or 'more generally the transition from feudalism to capitalism '. Brenner argues that desirable conditions for peasants were full property rights on land and payment of a small fixed, non-economic rent.Keywords: capitalism; early modern Europe; feudalism; medieval Europe; peasants; Robert Brenner; social-property relations