Political underpinnings of the Great Enrichment
Feb 25, 2017 · 1 min read
Professor Mokyr understands the Great Enrichment as an emergent property, initially catalyzed by three simultaneous conditions:
- a) the political fragmentation of Europe: the various monarchies were constantly in competition with and emulating active rivals
- b) a single large market of ideas: the cultural and intellectual unity of Europe made for an integrated transnational academic community that enjoyed a wide audience for its innovations and the ability to skip borders should conservative political forces restrict their experiments in one place
- c) a Baconian ethos of methodical research and a willingness to sacrifice sacred cows
