Asia in the World Economy - Literature review Example

SIА IN THE WORLD ЕСОNОMY Name Institution Professor Course Date Topic Discuss the debate on why Western Europe industrialised earlier than Asia, which had superior technological and scientific knowledge in the pre-industrial period. You should critically review the Eurocentric view on industrialisation and summarise reasons why Asia failed to be the first to industrialise Introduction At the end of the first millennium, the Asian civilizations were ahead of Europe in terms of knowledge and wealth. During the tenth century, Europe had regressed from the pomp and power of Rome and Greece and had lost much of the technological knowledge and science it had invented. As the global industry and trade began to change into a more worldwide economy in the late 20th century, historians changed their opinions moving from a Eurocentric perspective of history. They included a more worldwide history that suggested a global economy beginning from the 12th century with its centre positioned strongly in Peking (Landes 2006, p.3). The question of why Western Europe industrialised earlier than Asia became a worldwide topic worth of historical debate. The debate pertaining to why Western Europe became the first industrialised continent and not Asia which had superior technological and scientific knowledge in the pre-industrial period is misplaced in the perspective of mentality. Eurocentric views link Europe successes in enhancing technology to culture and free market economy, and, as a result, Europe had conducive social, economic and political establishments coupled with its temperate atmosphere and the absence of Malthusian pressure on facilities and resources unlike Asia. The enquiry why industrial revolution took place in Western Europe in the 18th century and not in Asia instigates diverse opinions that are portioned into global economists, Eurocentric determinists and revisionists historians’ perspectives which dismissed the soundness of any comparison because of extreme disparities amid Europe and other regions of the world (Landes 2006, p.3) . Such diversity in viewpoints causes a closer look into the contention areas, ecology, demography; technology, global economy, cultural disparities, government policy, the exploitation role, European economic advantage. Industrialisation entails the large-scale organization of industrialized technical enterprises, manufacturing and other economic activities (Assefa 2008, p.239). The idea of industrialisation involves economic shifts from a predominantly agricultural establishment, to a collective or service/industrial establishment with an augment in output per capita and productivity (Assefa 2008, p.239). Notwithstanding that the initial segments of industrialisation necessitate a course of action and systemic methods to steer resources into valuable course of action, the formation of output expansion via efficiency growth is overriding. The Western Europe labour productivity, technology and per-capital incomes diverged and the emergence of cultural practices promoted education and work while accumulation of physical and human capital stimulated investments. Eurocentric scholars claim that Europe was exceptionally wealthy thereby preceding industrialisation. They argue that Europe had more fundamental property privileges, more capital, good agricultural system, law and order, professional trade and private ownership. Nevertheless, these claims upon closer examination are not completely distinctive to Europe as fundamental property rights and private ownership also existed in China and other Asian countries since the 16th century (Sreenivasan 2004, p.4). China possessed a highly efficient agriculture founded on rice whose surplus enabled China to trade internationally and domestically. Accordin to Sreenivasan (2004, p.4), China was at the front position of the worldwide economy while Europe used its colonial outlet wealth to break into a global economy that was run by the Eastern nations for over three centuries. Western Europe took advantage of its colonial outlets as a strategy to embrace industrial revolution. Its global conjunctions enabled the continent to save land-intensive facilities and resources. Moreover in conjunction with other occurrences in other nations such as the establishment of silver as a mode of payment in China, Europeans received capital supplies from Americans to gain access to the Chinese market. Europe became the driver of the industrial revolution not because of its intrinsic pre-eminence, but because of particular geography accidents and its thriving utilization of its colonies. Europe had an ideal market courtesy of the laissez faire perspective that supported entrepreneurial fanaticism and industrial growth. Lack of inefficient state intervention enhanced market operations (Sreeenivasan 2004, p.4). On the other hand, Asian societies allowed free market and lacked land regulations. For instance, fifty percent of Europe land in the 19th century was under family settlement law and this prevented sale of land. Similarly, in Spain the land price was high an aspect that prevented investments (Lieberman 1999, p.4). Cultural diversity enhanced industrial revolution in Western Europe. According to Landes (2006, p.3), Asian’ clear hostility to trade because of cultural backwardness dragged industrial revolution. However, China was not a homogenous society and it interacted with India an aspect that introduced Buddhism. In the debate why Western Europe industrialised earlier than Asia, it is important to note that Western Europe held an undeniable comparative advantage before 1800 (Sreeenivasan 2004, p.4). The Western Europe states were better in producing and using firearms, artillery, armed ships and fortifications compared to other parts of the world. The states had this advantage way before the 1800 century (Khuong 2013, p.2). By 1800, Western Europe had conquered thirty five percent of the world’s economy and they managed lucrative trade paths as far as Asia. Part of the land the Europeans subjugated came into their ownership courtesy of the diseases they established into vulnerable populace. The Rise of the West that entailed trading, productive, colonial domination and military of the 18th and 19th centuries by mini-empires and small nations of Western Europe seemed as a simple affair. According to Goldstone (2013, p.54), the rise of the West was black and white as they had an advantage in the contemporary rational inquest of the Greeks that was integrated with arts of comedy and political invention of nationality. The Romans added a lawful tradition that became the foundation of civil engineering and modern bureaucracy. The medieval stage was more than just an unreceptive overpass to the revitalization, adding enhancements in agricultural technology, armour and fortifications (Goldstone 2013, p.54). The Renaissance subsequently instigated developments in discovery, citizenship revival and arts. The reformation prompted individuality and free thinking as regards nature and God, revolution while enlightenment steered in the modern state of military and technologically advanced nations (Carroll 2006, p.17). From an early phase, everything in Western Europe included creativity, fruitful innovations, exploration and vitality. Outside Europe, people did little to establish industrialisation. From the establishments of Islamic, Chinese civilizations and Vedic, notwithstanding the undeniable creativity of their foundational philosophy and texts, all they did was minor variations and incremental elaboration. Blueprints set in the millennia remain intact until they encountered with the self-motivated Europeans (Goldstone 2013, p.54). From Weber and Marx to Landes and McNeil, this was considered the less of global; and comparative history which the non-West was perceived: complex but long-term cultural blueprints, exhaustive but stagnant effective technology, huge classical attainments, but minor further expansion (Goldstone 2013, p.54). Even though Western Europe was not more developed and wealthier compared to riches in China, the military technology of the region was more developed. The proof is clear, but nevertheless astounding that Western Europe later dominated gunpowder technology. Gunpowder and firearms had their origin in China spreading through Eurasia (Goldstone 2013, p.54).Nations outside Western Europe had the revolutionary weapons and in deed became proficient at producing and exploiting the novel military technology. There are numerous reasons why industrialisation is a supreme necessity for contemporary economic growth. The first nation to industrialise is the United Kingdom due to a rise in agricultural productivity (Vries 2013, p.217). Historians claim that Western Europe held more livestock compared to Asia. On the other hand, China had less livestock as it had less need for the livestock. For instance, animals in Western Europe were used for food and in industries that is in turning millstones and pulling ploughs as well as for transport purpose. These aspects set Western Europe to advance first compared to Asia. While Western Europe nations used animals for ploughing and transport, countries like China utilized waterways as means of transport (Khuong 2013, p.1). These advantages inspired industrialisations. In addition, the proximity of Europe mines to markets promoted industrialisation. From a Eurocentric view, Asian countries such as China were densely populated, hence labour abundance. Due to labour abundance, the country had reduced real wages compared to Western Europe (Vries 2013, p.217). Scarce population was a catalyst to innovation. Industrialisation relied on technological development and Western Europe had scores of technological breakthroughs. The discovery and use of heat by the Europeans was a key breakthrough to industrialisation. Such ideas were absent or weak from the culture of Asian countries such as China. Even though the Chinese technology had offered the world the direction and had created a coal complex and huge iron during the era of Song, the Chinese did not exploit their innovation to embrace industrialisation (Lieberman 1999, p.4). The Asian countries lacked scientific societies, and means of spreading information held negative effects to the Asian countries with respect to industrialisation. Even though print media was common in Asian countries several years before Western Europe, concepts did not spread like the 18th century enlightenment. In Western Europe, scientific studies were supported by the government. Technological growth was a global economic procedure, but Asia took a back seat despite holding superior technological and scientific knowledge in the pre-industrial period. Although the Chinese technology never stagnated in the course of Ming-Qing era, it did not revolutionise the country’s economy the way it revolutionised the Western Europe market. According to Lieberman (1999) ‘China was not inferior to key sectors of Western Europe until late 1700s (p.4)”. Thereafter, Western Europe’s victory mirrored, above all, its distinctive access to domestic coal and to New World resources. These aspects promoted a strange core-periphery specialisation that was conducive to industrial innovation (Vries 2013, p.218). This mean that structural and contingency prospect, not government policy or cultural advantage, underlay Western Europe’s surprisingly delayed ascent. Until the late18th century, China’s superior productivity ensured that the country remained as the core of the global economy in which Western Europe was simply a marginal player. Conclusion Western Europe industrialised earlier than Asia, which possesses superior technological and scientific knowledge during the pre-industrial period. The medieval Europe was no wealthier compared to the Islamic and East Asian countries. However, urbanisation levels, colonialism, agricultural productivity, life expectancy and low population made Europe to lead in industrialization over Asia before 1800. Technological innovation became the trademark of European economic superiority with origins of economic superiority in technological stagnation implying that a history of creativity and innovation relies on prior history of institutions and incentives. List of references Goldstone, J 2013, ‘ The origins of Western superiority: A comment on the modes of meta-history and Duschesne’s Indo-European article’, The Journal of Theoretical and Mathematical History, 4, 4, pp.54-66. Lieberman, V 1999, Beyond binary histories: Re-imagining Eurasia to C.1830. Michigan: University of Michigan Press. Landes, D 2006, ‘ Why Europe and the West? Why not China’, The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 20, 2, pp.3-22. Assefa, T 2008, Digest of Ethiopia’s national policies, strategies and programs. Ethiopia: African Books Collective Sreeenivasan, G 2004, The peasants of Ottobeuren, 1487-1726. Cambridge: Cambride University Press. Khuong, V 2013, The dynamics of economic growth: Policy insights from comparative analyses in Asia. China: Edward Elgar Publishing. weber 2 Vries, P 2013, Escaping poverty: The origins of modern economic growth. New York: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. .Carroll, P 2006, Science, Culture, and Modern State Formation. Berkeley: University of California Press. Read More