Religion, Longevity, and Cooperation: The Case of the Craft Guild. / Gary Richardson, Michael McBride.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Richardson, Gary.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

McBride, Michael.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w14004.

NBER working paper series no. w14004

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Religion, Longevity, and Cooperation

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2008.

Summary:

When the mortality rate is high, repeated interaction alone may not sustain cooperation, and religion may play an important role in shaping economic institutions. This insight explains why during the fourteenth century, when plagues decimated populations and the church promoted the doctrine of purgatory, guilds that bundled together religious and occupational activities dominated manufacturing and commerce. During the sixteenth century, the disease environment eased, and the Reformation dispelled the doctrine of purgatory, necessitating the development of new methods of organizing industry. The logic underlying this conclusion has implications for the study of institutions, economics, and religion throughout history and in the developing world today.

Notes:

Print version record

May 2008.