Social Thought in England, 1480-1730

This book argues that social concepts most definitely existed in late medieval and early modern England, laying the foundations for modern models of society. It analyzes social paradigms and how they changed in the period. The middle ages imagined society as a body whose members were interdependent, unchanging, hierarchical, and which rejected wealth and embraced poverty. Early modern thinkers challenged the body theory, developing a social humanist model affirming competition, mobility, and wealth.