Carey's Socialwissenschaft und das Merkantilsystem

Published in 1866 by Stuber, Adolf Held's Carey's Socialwissenschaft und das Merkantilsystem emerged during a period of intense intellectual debate regarding the validity of classical economic theory versus the protectionist policies favored by the American economist Henry Charles Carey. Held, a prominent German economist and a leading figure in the Kathedersozialismus school, utilized this work to critically examine and categorize Carey's sociological theories, positioning them against the backdrop of the mid-nineteenth-century European transition toward industrial capitalism.

The book serves as a scholarly intervention in the discourse of the era, reflecting Held's commitment to the historical school of economics which prioritized social context over the rigid universalism of British classical theory. His analysis of the mercantile system through the lens of Carey's writing was well-regarded among German academic circles of the time for its rigor, helping to solidify Held's reputation as a thoughtful mediator between competing international economic doctrines during the German Unification era.