Maurice Dobb on the transition from feudalism to capitalism

Maurice Dobb, a notable Marxist economist, offered original insights into the transition from feudalism to capitalism. According to Dobb, this transition was propelled by fundamental changes in the economic structure of society. Feudalism, characterized by serfdom and agrarian-based production, gave way to capitalism, which introduced wage labor and industrial production. Dobb posited that the key driving force behind this transition was the emergence of a class of capitalist entrepreneurs motivated by profit maximization through labor exploitation and technological advancements. The shift from feudalism to capitalism involved the enclosure movement, which privatized common lands, and the growth of merchant capitalism, leading to the establishment of a market economy and the ascendancy of the bourgeoisie.