Autarky

A term which derives from the Greek αὐτάρκεια (autarkeia, self-sufficiency) and usually describes a self-sufficient or closed economy. It is also used to describe an ecosystem which relies entirely on its own resources and is not affected by influences from the outside world.

French historian Marc Bloch spoke of an autarky in historical scholarship, which he defined as the self-isolation of a scholar from others in his profession – a situation inevitably resulting in the scholar “comprehending something only halfway, even in his own field.” To Bloch, true history was possible only through mutual cooperation.