Capitalism is only 400 years old

Before it was merely people using money.

I've seen an interesting video about it a few months ago: 400 years ago is actually mercantilism. It means people build their fortune out of selling goods. Before that, it was about possessing lands and taxing the people who lived there.

Capitalism is different than both. It's not born 400 years ago with the trading with the America. It's born with the industrial revolution when the bourgeoisie seized the power with democracy.

From the Dutch who would sell shares of the profit they were going to make before a voyage. Very different from the norm at the time when usually a monarch or noble would fund such projects. I personally think it's a very good spot in history to think of the beginning of capitalism

I wonder where that number came from

It came from the guy depicted in the meme, Karl Marx.

It's part of his historical materialism, and by capitalism he means more than just money lending.

I think the basis for capitalism is actually that the price of a product or labor is set by the market. It probably "started" the first time Gork traded Thmm a spear for 3 shiny rocks.

We're crashing head first into a new more modern version of feudalism, so while still a blip it's an ongoing blip.

Isn't that more like anarchism?

Before agriculture people were like that, but as people settled down it created a class system. Then people got more powerful and such and states began to be created.

During this time (Around 4000bce and 400ce) feudalism wasn't really a thing, but after the Western Roman Empire fell around 400ce the power vacuum it created lead to the creation of feudalism. This was because of several factors, but I can't remember them all right now.

But money did exist even before the creation feudalism, since the Romans and the Egyptians did have money. Even in Mesopotamia currency was used. And even if money didn't exist trade was still being done with valueable things like resources and other commodities, which lead to those things becoming a de-facto currency.

So basically pre-agriculture was like tribes that shared their stuff and such, but after agriculture not so much. Of course this isn't a one-answer-fits-all thing, since there are always exceptions.

Sorry for the long ramble. I just got really into writing this thing. Also I could be wrong on some things, since I am writing from memory.

Even in tribe, people did not share everything. Hunting weapons (means of manufacturing ) were most likely in personal possession. There was also rudimentary trade between the tribes. But as soon as real economy started to appear (and here I use the word “real economy” as system that requires cooperation of large number of people and labor separation) the means of manufacturing (wind mill, pack animals, etc) were mostly in private ownership, could be bought and sold. So, no, not communism.

Questionable on both accounts. There are people who are saying this, and I am not sure that this is the best system that we (as in biological humans with our desires) could ever have. The experimentations so far (e.g. USSR) shows the opposite, that having more material incentive help humans to be more productive.

So you felt the need to state that you disagree, attempt to degrade me, then offer no explanation?

Many biologists also argue that viruses are living or not, there were decades of internal scientific debate on evolution before eventually being accepted, the big bang was debated against even with evidence, etc.

You being a biologist with an opinion means less than nothing when you can find any number of equally or more educated individuals who offer alternative opinions