Dear all,  

Next week, on February 26th,  Esther Sahle will be presenting at the HPPE seminar on the topic “'For the love of money is the root of all evil' – Quaker Business Ethics, c.1650-1800”

The seminar takes place in room  EAS E 168 in the East Building (at the London School of Economics) at 1 pm. 


Abstract:

Quakers constituted the most important minority in early modern Atlantic trade. In terms of numbers they
were overrepresented among business people since the late seventeenth century. The historiography has attributed their success to a superior set of business ethics, which emphasised honesty, reliability and the diligent settlement of debts. These distinct ethics bestowed upon Quakers a reputation as trustworthy business partners. This trust lowered costs of negotiating, monitoring and enforcing contracts when dealing with Quakers, thus providing them with a competitive advantage in trade.

Based on a comparative study of seventeenth and eighteenth century Quaker writings as well as religious and
secular non-Quaker sources, I contest this view. I argue that Quaker business ethics were not distinct. The view that they were unique is a misconception based on a lack of comparison with contemporary non-Quaker ethics.  As Quaker business ethics were not unique,they cannot have been the cause of Quaker economic success. 

 
About the presenter:

Esther Sahle holds a BA in History and Religion from the University of Erfurt, Germany, and an MSc in Global
History from the LSE. At present she is in the final year of her PhD on Quakers and institutional development in the early modern Atlantic trade. She is interested in how secular and religious institutions compete with, and
complement each other and the effects their interaction has on social and economic development.



 


Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic communications disclaimer: http://lse.ac.uk/emailDisclaimer