Able Quote by Fernand Braudel
![“The key problem is to find out why that sector of society of the past, which I would not hesitate to call capitalist, should have lived as if in a bell jar, cut off from the rest; why was it not able to expand and conquer the whole of society?... [Why was it that] a significant rate of capital…” quote by Fernand Braudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/043/fernand-braudel-28972_able_the-key-problem-is-to-find-out-why-that_1776623.jpg)
“The key problem is to find out why that sector of society of the past, which I would not hesitate to call capitalist, should have lived as if in a bell jar, cut off from the rest; why was it not able to expand and conquer the whole of society?... [Why was it that] a significant rate of capital formation was possible only in certain sectors and not in the whole market economy of the time?”
About This Quote
Source Book: Civilization and Capitalism, 15th–18th Century, Fernand Braudel, 1979
The quote questions why capitalist dynamics were confined to certain sectors, leaving others isolated, and why capital formation was uneven across the economy.
In simple terms: Capitalism grew unevenly, some sectors thrived while others stayed isolated.
Key Takeaway
Recognize structural limits of economic expansion.
Themes
economics
history
social stratification
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
historical
economic
When to use this quote
- industrial policy
- regional development
- economic planning
- financial regulation
Key Concepts
capital formation
sectoral disparity
institutional constraints
Questions to Reflect On
- Which modern sectors face similar isolation?
- How can policy break sectoral barriers?
A Different Perspective
Capital growth often depends on institutional and cultural factors beyond pure market forces.
![“When the [colonial] contact was violent, in fact, failure was more frequent than success. 'Colonialism' may have triumphed in the past: but today it is an obvious fiasco. And colonialism, typically, is the submergence of one civilisation by another. The conqured always submit to the stronger; but…” quote by Fernand Braudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b15/fernand-braudel-28972_cultural-exchange_when-the-colonial-contact-was-violent-in_217303.jpg)
