Translating Empire: Emulation and the Origins of Political Economy
Sophus A. Reinert
Historians have traditionally turned to free trade and laissez faire to explain the development of political economy during the Enlightenment. Reinert argues that economic emulation was the prism through which philosophers, ministers, reformers, and merchants thought about imperialism, economics, industry, and reform in the early modern period.
Award History
1 wins · 1 total
| Award | Year | Result | Category / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Historical Association Book Prizes: George L. Mosse Prize in European Intellectual and Cultural History | 2012 | Winner | Official source |
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies
This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.
01 Central figures
None extracted with sufficient confidence.
02 Central places
None extracted with sufficient confidence.
03 Suggested argument
Economic emulation was the lens through which early modern philosophers, ministers, reformers, and merchants conceptualized imperialism, economics, industry, and reform, shaping political economy’s origins rather than free trade or laissez faire alone.
Model confidence 72%
04 Reading orientation
70 / 100 academicAcademic
An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.
Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 55%.