Property and Prophets combines a brief review of the evolution of some of the most important institutions of capitalism with analyses of recurring ideological defenses of capitalism and radical critiques of capitalism. The unique feature of the book is the method of interweaving economic history and intellectual, or ideological, history. It is Hunt's belief that neither conservative defenses of capitalism nor radical rejections of it can be adequately appreciated until one is aware of the existential context within which they arose. This book provides an introduction to the study of the relationship between economic history and intellectual history. Book jacket.