22 lines
1021 B
Markdown
22 lines
1021 B
Markdown
<!-- generated: provider=openrouter model=arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:free date=2026-02-19 source=book-3-chapter-03 -->
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# Economic Autonomy Gradient
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## Definition
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The spectrum of economic freedom ranging from complete servitude under feudal control to full commercial autonomy, with different economic actors and regions occupying various positions along this continuum. This gradient reflects the historical process by which economic actors gradually achieved greater freedom to make economic decisions and retain the fruits of their labor.
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## Source Chapter
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Book III, Chapter 3
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## Context
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Smith describes how different economic actors - from villeins to free burghers to rural landowners - occupied different positions on the autonomy gradient. He uses this concept to explain how economic development proceeded unevenly, with some groups achieving commercial freedom earlier than others, creating the institutional diversity necessary for market economies to emerge.
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## Economic Domain
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General Theory
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---
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