New World of Gain: Europeans, Guaraní, and the Global Origins of Modern Economy by Brian P. Owensby

European economic models were not inevitable; societies could be organized differently for greater well-being. Brian P. Owensby's analysis of the Jesuit missions among the Guaraní (1640s–1767) reveals a system of 'substantive mutuality'—based on indigenous consent and reciprocal exchange—that contrasted sharply with European mercantilism. The study, rooted in philosophical texts from Aristotle to 18th-century Spanish treatises, shows how the Guaraní initially integrated the Spanish as allies but later resisted exploitation, leading to the missions' rise as autonomous economic entities. Owensby traces their decline under Bourbon reforms and Jesuit expulsion (1767), arguing that the missions were misrepresented by European intellectuals as a counterexample to emerging capitalist ideals. This work challenges narratives of colonialism's inevitability while offering insights into alternative economic paradigms.

Langer, E. D. (2023). New World of Gain: Europeans, Guaraní, and the Global Origins of Modern Economy by Brian P. Owensby. The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 53(4), 636–638. https://doi.org/10.1162/jinh_r_01910