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Radio 3,1 min

Is City of London comparable to Mandevilles's concept of beehive?

Free Thinking

Available for over a year

In 1714 Bernard Mandeville published his provocative Fable of the Bees, in which he explored the relationship between morality and economic wealth. Mandeville's interest in what he called 'private vice' - the way an economy is driven by the base desires and villainous schemes of the populace - made the book a scandalous success. Meanwhile, along the way Mandeville gives an entertaining account of key principles of economic thought including division of labour, consumerism, and the balance of payments.

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