Economic exchanges have existed for a long time in the world and they have been
justified as means to satisfy domestic necessities and as mechanisms to gain profit by
those who offer goods and services in the market. The theoretical discussions around
such exchanges have encountered room for the intersection of economics, moral
and the law, particularly with reference to the justice and proportionality of such
operations. This essay examines how economy, moral and the law have interacted
in the debates that surrounded the emergence of commercial capitalism in Christian
Europe, especially regarding fair price and usury. It presents a long-term view, from
the 12th to the 18th century, and aims at making visible the tensions and problems
that have been laid out in this matter.
