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Gunder Frank's Comments, Libraries and source materials by Malcolm Pratt 31 January 2002 10:19 UTC |
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Andre Gunder Frank comments on B. Y's request is an interesting starting point for discussion. He is of course right that the premise of the question should be challenged. Should it be "why do so many commentators/theorists believe that capitalism was formed in the 16th century?" or something similar, but it also raises questions about source materials, the role of libraries. The first question obviously relates to source material. Leo the African whose family had been expelled from Grananda after the final phase of the Reconqusita, suggest in his work on the geography and history of Africa, that one of the reasons that the peoples of Africa had little history was the systematic distruction of their books by conquerers. His belief may have been influenced by historical record of the Roman destruction of the Library of Alexandria or by the bonfire of Islamic texts in the city square of Granada which had followed the city's surrender. Whatever the case, it is interesting point to discuss whether as part of warfare and colonialism it has been a comon practice to try to destroy books and textural elements or other societies. The second element is whether in fact, alongside all the books and records which disucss european exceptionalism etc, there are other works, in particular, archival records which point in opposite directions. How many archives outside Europe are consulted, how many texts written in non-european laguages remain untranslated and why. On this list we have been discussing languages and how many scholars are learning non-european languages, but what is often missed is that knowledge of ancient varients of say Islamic texts or even Latin, is even rarer. Perhaps one of the roles that we should be considering is a wider search for sources and collaboration in the translation of historical texts, the incorporation of specialist linguists and the translation modern non-european works too. This of course, calls for a wider role for academics, Libraries and Librarians like myself. A bit of a general ramble there, but I thought it may be an interesting point of discussion. malcolm There are whole world libaries full of material on this - and ALL of them/it are totally MISleading down the garden path into a cul de sac. Best thing to do is to abandon your question as one of the type ''when did you stop [or in your case start] beating your wife/husband?'' the ANSWEr is ''I AM NOT MARRIED'' go look at the evidence - chinese: seek trutth from facts - and figure out what the right - not your WRONG! - question/s is/are gunder frank On Wed, 30 Jan 2002, B. Y. wrote: >Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 09:21:32 +0200 >From: B. Y. <yeldiren0@hotmail.com> >To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu >Subject: Help Request > > >Hello, > >I am working on a short paper approximately thirty pages about "Formation >of Capitalism during 16.cc". Main subject is represent that this century was an age of transition. > >Outline is as shown below: > >* 16.cc is an age of transition from Ancient Regime to Capitalism > - What is system theory? > - What is the transformation of a world system > - Examples of this transition from Europe in 16.cc > >* How did this transition happen in Britain? > - Economically > - Religious strucutes and divisions in Christianity (Reflection of social chages on them) > - Govermental Structure > >* Effects of this transition on humans culture/ideology Malcolm Pratt Flat 4, 37 Stratford Road, London, W8 6RA 0171 937 2489 _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
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