Assignment:
Why Europe and not China?
1. Why does Landes think that China would not have developed an industrial revolution on its own? (Landes 2006 "Why Europe and the West? Why not China?" is posted on BB under Syllabus)
2. Why does he think that China failed to learn new technologies from Europeans in the period after 1500?
3. In Landes' view, what did Europe have that China lacked? That is, what did Europe have that permitted it to have an industrial revolution?
4. What does Pomeranz say about the factors that Landes identifies as the crucial features of European society that permitted it to have an industrial revolution? Why does he say that these features did not matter?
5. What does Pomeranz think are the crucial factors that enabled Europe to have an industrial revolution?
Readings:
Why Europe and the West? Why Not China?
By David S. Landes