Capitalism predates advanced financial constructs like corporations. The trade networks of medieval and early-modern-age Europe enabled far higher levels of pro

Capitalism predates advanced financial constructs like corporations. The trade networks of medieval and early-modern-age Europe enabled far higher levels of productivity than would otherwise be possible, which gave monarchs and churches the resources necessary to build and support the first universities. As the economy became more advanced, societies were able to allocate even more resources to tertiary sectors like advanced education, and universities became more numerous and sophisticated. Productivity levels are critically important to the production of public goods like universities, and secure private property rights with contract law enables more rapid gains in productivity levels. And all this doesn't even touch on my other point: higher productivity increases consumer power, which directly enhances the standard of living. It's not enough for some technology/knowledge to just exist. It has to be deployed, and that takes resources that more productive societies are more capable of providing.