Corporations, Vol. 1 of 2: A Study of the Origin and Development of Great Business Combinations and of Their Relation to the Authority of the State (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

John P. Davis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0483473405 ISBN 13: 9780483473409

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Explore the roots of modern business power and the state’s role in shaping it.

This clear, introductory study traces how large business combinations grew from medieval guilds, towns, and universities into the corporations that dominate today’s economy. It explains why the concept of a corporation matters beyond law and how public authority and private interests intertwine in their rise.

From the merchant and craft gilds to the shaping influence of towns and universities, this book surveys the long history of corporate life. It highlights how groups formed for trade, crafts, and education evolved into organizations with public significance, and how scholars have interpreted their power and limitations. The work aims to interpret existing material, offering a framework for understanding the development of corporations rather than presenting new archival discoveries.

• How medieval guilds laid the groundwork for corporate structures.
• The differences between merchant gilds and craft gilds and their town roles.
• How towns, legal frameworks, and universities influenced corporate life.
• Problems and debates in defining what a corporation is and how it should relate to the state.

Ideal for readers curious about the historical foundations of corporations and their enduring link to public authority.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0483473405
• ISBN 13: 9780483473409
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 330