Der moderne Kapitalismus Revisions 1917–1928

This chapter is focused on the changes that Sombart made to the later editions of Der moderne Kapitalismus. It with an overview of the editions and how Sombart’s conception of modern capitalism was modified by criticisms. But he still was convinced that his combination of the historical approach coupled with a theoretical one was the proper method to investigate the origins and essence of modern capitalism. It also shows Sombart’s increasing interest in sociology and that is manifested in chapters on society, the city, and in legal thinking. It is also devoted to Sombart’s addition of two more volumes devoted to what he calls “High Capitalism” (“Hochkapitalismus”). If the first edition was primarily historical, the two volumes devoted to “High Capitalism”) were designed to explain Twentieth-Century capitalism. Now, his concern is with modern businesses—what they are, how they function, and what is their purpose and goal. Sombart’s revision of moderne Kapitalismus may have lost its sense of originality, but it showed that Sombart had not lost his sense of understanding what modern capitalism was and would likely continue to be.