Great Divergence: The Economic Development of Europe, China, and the Modern World

Author: Peng Mu Lan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: For a long time, the "West-Centric Theory" and the "Impact-Response" model have dominated the study of Sino-Western comparative history. In recent years, there has been a rise in opposition to this view, proposing many new topics in Sino-Western comparison. This book discusses the arguments of various scholars, provides a detailed examination of the socio-economic conditions in 18th-century Europe and East Asia, and conducts a specific comparison between England in Europe and the Jiangnan region in China. It proposes many innovative insights with new argumentation methods. The fundamental argument of this book is that before 1800, it was a pluralistic world with no single economic center, and the West did not possess any obvious, internally generated advantages unique to itself. It was only after the full development of European industrialization in the 19th century that a dominant West-Centric model acquired practical significance.