The Invention of Currency in Medieval Islamic Political Thought

• In Event: Lawyers, Guns, & Money: Consent, Patriotism, & Money in Medieval Political Thought

Abstract

This paper explores medieval Islamic ideas on the economic aspects of social life. In particular, I will focus on Islamic discourse on currency as a means for facilitating transactions within human society and the division of labor. I will also explore the reception of ancient Greek theories about the use of money and revisit the impact of the Neopythagorean Bryson (1st century AD) as one of the main sources of Islamic economic thought. Finally, I will examine affinities and links with medieval European discourse on wealth and currency, especially Nicole Oresme’s De moneta (14th cent.).

Author

• Vasileios Syros, University of Chicago