Why are some countries so wealthy, and others so poor?
Nov 05, 2020 · 8 mins read
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Why Europe rose to dominance
The world has never been a level playing field.
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Consider climate and geography. Many temperate lands have had the benefit of reliable rainfall, good soil, hardwood forests and bearable cold, not to mention the right conditions for rearing livestock.
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These elements make for more stable societies and higher rates of economic development, and were major factors in the slow rise of Europe in the Middle Ages. Yet as Harvard historian David Landes argues in The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, there is something even more important to national wealth: culture.
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A thousand years ago, no-one could have predicted continental Europe’s dominance. It was under attack from the Vikings to the north, the Moors to the south and the Magyars to the east. It was an intellectual and technical laggard compared to the learning of the Arab world and Chinese innovation.
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Yet Europe had something that would prove to be highly valuable: it was heir to the classical Roman and Greek tradition, however imperfect, of democracy and meritocracy. The civilizations surrounding Europe were mostly “squeeze operations”, where rulers simply took by force from their own people.
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Europe had its fair share of tyrannical rulers, but its concept of private property provided motivation and encouraged enterprise. Medieval Christianity also put limits on the behaviour of rulers, since they were also subject to God and could not abuse the commoners at will.
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Good Christian order meant due process, the rule of law and protection of property rightfully gained. This made Europe different.
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The water wheel, eyeglasses, reliable clocks and watches, and the printed book, were all medieval European inventions. Gutenberg had published his Bible in 1452, and by 1501 there were millions of books in Europe. Literacy was no longer just a luxury for the rich.
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Meanwhile, Imperial China was serene in its isolation and did not bother itself to learn anything new, particularly if it came from ‘barbarians’. Chinese rulers were ‘control freaks’ in today’s language, regulating everything and demanding total obedience. Enterprise was seen as a threat.
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Europe overtook China by refining and adapting many of its innovations. Despite its feudal structure of kings and queens, nobles and peasants, medieval Europe had vibrant, self-organizing cities and regions. It was essentially a free market of products and of ideas. But within Europe there were important differences.
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