St Antoninus of Florence on Trade, Merchants, and Workers

Saint Antoninus of Florence was a Dominican friar and archbishop of Florence who composed the Summa, a comprehensive manual of moral theology. Jason Aaron Brown examines his writings on economic ethics and situates them in their intellectual and social context, concluding that while his economic concepts were modern, his moral teaching on proper means and ends in the marketplace stood against certain nascent capitalistic tendencies in fifteenth-century Florence. This book opens a window into a premodern author's writing process.

Format: Hardback
Length: 632 pages
Publication date: 04 October 2024
Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Saint Antoninus of Florence, a Dominican friar and archbishop of Florence from 1446 to 1459, is widely recognized for his comprehensive manual of moral theology, the Summa, which has been highly influential and rewarding in medieval times. His work, Saint Antoninus of Florence on Trade, Merchants, and Workers, offers a valuable orientation to his life and teachings, particularly focusing on his writings on economic ethics. This book includes a critical edition of his original Latin text, accompanied by an English translation, providing a comprehensive understanding of his thought. Jason Aaron Brown delves into the historical arguments surrounding Italian business culture in the wake of the medieval Commercial Revolution and assesses whether it can be considered capitalistic. While Saint Antoninus exhibits surprisingly modern economic concepts, Brown highlights his moral teaching on proper means and ends in the marketplace, which resisted certain nascent capitalistic tendencies in fifteenth-century Florence. Through an examination of the manuscripts, this book offers a glimpse into the writing process of a premodern author, making it of interest to scholars of medieval manuscripts and literary production.

Weight: 1020g
Dimension: 234 x 160 x 43 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781487545949