Politics and Culture in 18th-Century Anglo-Italian Encounters


Book Description

This collection addresses Anglo-Italian influences, correspondences and relationships through the lens of an expansive notion of eighteenth-century political history, explored in its fecund dialogue with cultural history. Its multifaceted approach fleshes out the idea of the Enlightenment community of people linking and sharing different forms and structures of knowledge into a comprehensive picture of the Age of Reason. This book probes fields of great relevance for the cultural interpretation of historical experience, and composes a lively, and as yet unexplored, map of an interconnected European world. Anglo-Italian encounters are explored here primarily through the interweaving of political and cultural history, adding a valuable cog to contemporary insight into the cosmopolitan nature of Enlightenment Europe. The essays here range in scope from the public economy and international trade to finance, moral philosophy, the ethics and politics of translation, travel, the cosmopolitan impact of Italian music and taste, and the art of gardening.




Moneyed Money


Book Description

"MONEYED MONEY" offers insight into how the term 'money', uttered by over 7 billion people daily, often remains largely misunderstood. Despite numerous attempts by governments, scholars, bankers, and international organisations to pin down a definition, the conclusion typically echoes Jean Gabin's sentiment: "Maintenant je sais" (this time I know). However, the true understanding often resides with the ordinary person grappling with daily concerns about meeting basic needs. The book guides readers through a brief history of the concept of money, explores reflections by significant historical academics, and delves into the fundamental element of trust and confidence in relation to the precious metal "gold". Moneyed Money's conclusion clarifies how, with technological innovations, even the most impoverished individuals may metaphorically purchase a single 'onion' by utilizing a pure gold instrument for indirect exchange. ADDENDA: ADD1 -'Fauteuil'-Academics on Money -- ADD2 -A Monetary Pitfall called... Value -- ADD3 -A 'Quixotic' Relic -- ADD4 -John Maynard Keynes - Locke(d) -- ADD5 -Lowndes-Locke Controversy in the 21th-C. -- ADD6 -Golden Governments -- ADD7 -Deceitful Banking Doctrines -- ADD8 -A Chronology of Monetary Evolution. Eight addenda explore various perspectives, each adding to the ultimate conclusion of Moneyed Money. I am convinced that not every reader will appreciate my subtly sarcastic tone towards well-known political and academic figures appearing in these addenda.