Periodizations of Capitalism

A periodization of capitalism seeks to distinguish stages of development that help understanding of features of capitalism through time. The most well-known periodizations that have been proposed distinguish these stages as:

1. Early or concurrential/ monopoly/ state monopoly capitalism (Sweezy etc.)
2. Free trade/ monopoly/ finance capitalism (Hilferding etc.)
3. Early capitalism (primitive accumulation)/ colonialism/ imperialism (Hobson, Lenin, Bukharin)
4. Extensive stage/ intensive stage/ (late capitalism) (Aglietta)

The Marxist periodization of capitalism into the stages: agricultural capitalism, merchant capitalism, industrial capitalism and state capitalism.

Another stage is merchant capitalism, industrial capitalism, finance capitalism, welfare capitalism, state monopoly capitalism and global capitalism.

Another theory is merchant capitalism, industrial and finance capitalism, and global capitalism.

Many theories suggests the basic stages of merchant capitalism, industrial capitalism and finance capitalism.