Capitalism: the highs and lows of the idea that revolutionised history

Having recounted the history of money, the innovation that transformed trade and accompanied the development of civilisations, UniCredit’s Investment Institute returns with a new podcast series from Il Sole 24 ORE dedicated to another of the great forces that have shaped the contemporary world: capitalism.

“Capitalism: the light and shade of the idea that revolutionised history” is now available, the new narrative podcast produced and distributed by 24 Ore Podcast, which takes listeners on a journey through four centuries of economic history to understand how the economic system in which we live came into being, how it has changed over time, and what its future developments might be.

Following the success of “Moneta”, the Investment Institute’s first narrative series dedicated to the history of money, this new project broadens its scope to focus on a phenomenon that has profoundly shaped the development of modern societies. Spanning four episodes – Trade, Industry, the State and Crisis – the podcast traces the key stages in the evolution of capitalism, showing how each era has developed its own interpretation of this economic model: from the commercial capitalism of the great trade routes to the industrial capitalism of the Industrial Revolution, right through to the regulated forms of the post-war period and the dynamics of contemporary globalisation.

The series portrays capitalism as a story of innovation, growth and progress, but also of contradictions, tensions and constant change. It traces a path that highlights how the relationship between the market and the state, and between economic freedom and regulation, has shifted over the centuries in an almost pendulum-like motion. Today, as new challenges such as the energy transition, artificial intelligence and geopolitical shifts redefine the global economic balance, the podcast invites listeners to consider what the next phase of this evolution might be.