«THE GREAT DIVERGENCE» IN THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF ECONOMIC HISTORY

• Main Author: Sergey S. Buldygin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kemerovo State University 2017-10-01
• Series: Вестник Кемеровского государственного университета
• Subjects: california school; the great divergence; industrial revolution; the economic growth; eurocentrism
• Online Access: https://vestnik.kemsu.ru/jour/article/view/2238

The article discusses works of California School scientists in order to analyze their views on the "rise" of Europe in Modern era, called in 1990s "The Great Divergence". The researchers argue that such advanced countries of the preXIXth century East as India and China did not fall behind, and in some cases even surpassed, most developed regions of Western Europe in the level of their economic development, trade and use of technology. The scholars of California School believe that before 1800 the most developed regions of Eurasia had a number of similarities. They point out that the "Great Divergence" between East and West began only during the industrial revolution, and that this is a temporary phenomenon. The article presents the criticism of California School and draws conclusions about the role and influence of the school on the development of issues related to the search for the causes of the formation of modern industrial civilization.