From Capital to Gift Theory. Interdisciplinary Studies of the Resolution of Interest

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03185
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of Europe and America
• Research Institution: Osaka Prefecture University
• Principal Investigator: Sasaki Hiromitsu 大阪府立大学, 人間社会システム科学研究科, 准教授 (80222008)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 利子 / 資本主義 / 慈善 / 財団 / 公債 / 買い戻し / 非常高利 / 宗教改革

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Catholic Church in medieval Europe banned taking interest, though this law was not always observed. It was allowed in Germany to loan money at interest up to 5% annually based on the trice imperial police acts in the 16th century. Since the 19th century many of German political economists recognized this as the turn from the Christian pauperism to the modern capitalism. However, profit-making interest is only one side of interest. Already in the 16th century the foundations using interest earned from their funds, in order to serve the charitable purposes such as poor relief and scholarship etc., were widely known.
Was it the profit-making interest, which was allowed at that time? I could make it clear, that at least in debates of Protestant religionists charitable interest was permitted previous to that for profits. Only in the 17th Century profit-making interest was conditionally allowed also by them, in order to raise that for charities.

Free Research Field

西洋史学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヨーロッパは資本主義経済のパイオニアと考えられた。日本をはじめとする後発先進国にとって、久しくヨーロッパは手本であった。いまや高度な資本主義経済の発展を遂げた日本は、格差の拡大等の社会問題に苦しんでいる。本家のヨーロッパでは同様の問題は日本ほど極端な形では発現していない印象を受ける。ヨーロッパは資本主義の弊害を是正するような仕組みも整えてきた。公益に奉仕するために利息を使う財団がそれである。ドイツでは16世紀に限定付きで利子取得が容認されるが、営利のための利息ではなく、慈善のために利息が相当配慮された。資本主義の弊害を是正する慈善のための贈与経済の存在を明らかにし、その可能性を指摘した。