Translated by H. J. Stenning and revised by author.
First published in 1924, Max Beer's work comprises the history of social thought from the fourth to the fourteenth century. He considers in detail the heretical social movement and the story is brought up to the period of the peasants' wars and the social struggles in the towns, which form the prelude to modern times. The work also deals with the period from the latter half of the fourteenth century to the outbreak of the French Revoluion.
Author(s): Max Beer
Series: Routledge Revivals
Edition: Reprint
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: VIII+66
PREFACE v
I. THE SOCIAL THOUGHT OF THE MIDDLE AGES 1
1. The Essence and Sources of Mediæval Communism 1
2. Gnosticism and Mysticism 3
3. Neo-Platonism: Plotinus 7
4. Natural Law in the Middle Ages 8
5. Roman and Christian Natural Law 11
II. MIGRATION OF NATIONS AND REORGANIZATION 14
1. The Teutonic Races 14
2. The Church 18
3. The Cloistral-Communistic Settlements 21
III. FROM COMMUNISM TO PRIVATE PROPERTY 25
1. The Economic Conditions of Western and Central Europe 25
2. Joachim of Floris; Amalrich of Bena 27
3. S.Francis of Assisi; Duns Scotus; Marsilius of Padua; William of Ockham 29
4. S.Dominic de Guzman; S.Thomas Aquinas 32
IV. THE ESSENCE OF THE HERETICAL-SOCIAL MOVEMENT 35
1. Spiritual Tendencies 35
2. The Cathari 36
3. The Cathari and Communism 37
4. The Inquisition 40
V. THE SPREAD AND PERSECUTION OF THE CATHARI 44
1. Bulgaria and the Bogomili 44
2. Italy: The Struggle between Pope and Emperor; Arnoldists, Humiliati, Apostolic Brethren 45
3. France: Waldenses, Languedoc, Albigenses 51
4. Flanders: Beguins and Beghards, Lollards 55
5. Germany: Waldenses, Beguins and Beghards, Ortliebians, Brethren of the Free Spirit, the German Mystics, the Brethren of the Common Lot 56
BlBLIOGRAPHY 62
INDEX 64
