Summary Of The Crisis Of Feudalism By Jason Moore
In The Crisis of Feudalism, Jason Moore composes an environmental history to detail the downfall of feudal hierarchies and the beginning of proto-capitalist elements. According to Moore, the advent of the bubonic plague destabilized existing labor-land relations throughout the feudal system. The universal nature of the pandemic, coupled with the palpable population decline empowered laborers within the feudal economy. Moreover, this fundamental realignment of power among the various classes incentivized “an external expansion” to increase economic gains. According to Moore, the precipitous decline in population encouraged expansion to achieve the former level of surplus. Arguably, the expeditious nature of external fixes to internal lapses
in production, has been magnified significantly in the modern era. Moore’s thesis has widespread application in the modern era. As our species continues to increase not merely agricultural production but consumer output as a whole, we are discovering that external fixes are not infinite. Residing on a planet with finite resources, the idea of an endless frontier of surplus seems absolutely ludicrous. Not only is this philosophical view fallacious, but its logical failures are being borne out in the contemporary world. For example, in early 20th century California, William Mulholland quickly realized that water from the Owen’s Valley must be diverted to the city of Los Angeles due to the rapidly expanding population. While the decision to reroute the finite water supply to an ever-expanding population was arguably necessary for short-term sustainability, the end product proved disastrous. By 1950, it became apparent that California as a state had no ability to sustain itself with water residing within the states borders. What these policies decisions did, was obfuscate the unsustainable nature of our metropolitan expansion. Moreover, they have socialized nearly 4 million people, that a paradise in the desert is someone sustainable. Seemingly, the milieu of the “American Way” that Wendall Berry criticized in Faustian Economics has some application here. We have been socialized into believing in an infinite frontier. We have been socialized into thinking that external solutions can delay confronting internal excess. Except in the modern case, internal excess has become global, and there is no external to draw from anymore. Berry’s argument, coupled with the historical context provided by Moore, illustrates the need to confront longstanding economic, political and sociocultural modalities that obfuscate contemporary challenges.
in production, has been magnified significantly in the modern era. Moore’s thesis has widespread application in the modern era. As our species continues to increase not merely agricultural production but consumer output as a whole, we are discovering that external fixes are not infinite. Residing on a planet with finite resources, the idea of an endless frontier of surplus seems absolutely ludicrous. Not only is this philosophical view fallacious, but its logical failures are being borne out in the contemporary world. For example, in early 20th century California, William Mulholland quickly realized that water from the Owen’s Valley must be diverted to the city of Los Angeles due to the rapidly expanding population. While the decision to reroute the finite water supply to an ever-expanding population was arguably necessary for short-term sustainability, the end product proved disastrous. By 1950, it became apparent that California as a state had no ability to sustain itself with water residing within the states borders. What these policies decisions did, was obfuscate the unsustainable nature of our metropolitan expansion. Moreover, they have socialized nearly 4 million people, that a paradise in the desert is someone sustainable. Seemingly, the milieu of the “American Way” that Wendall Berry criticized in Faustian Economics has some application here. We have been socialized into believing in an infinite frontier. We have been socialized into thinking that external solutions can delay confronting internal excess. Except in the modern case, internal excess has become global, and there is no external to draw from anymore. Berry’s argument, coupled with the historical context provided by Moore, illustrates the need to confront longstanding economic, political and sociocultural modalities that obfuscate contemporary challenges.