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Proceedings of The National Conference On Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2013 University of Wisconsin La Crosse, WI April 11 – 13, 2013 The “Great Divergence” Redefined: The Rise & Fall of the West & The Recovery of China Molly Britt Kroker Department of History Viterbo University 900 Viterbo Drive La Crosse, WI 54601 USA Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrew J. Hamilton Abstract Up until the 19th century, China had held a position of world power; however, for the last two hundred years the West has dominated the world technologically, economically, and politically. The point at which the West began its relative dominance over all other world civilizations is known as “the Great Divergence.” Currently, a steady change has been developing in China. Not only has China caught up to the West but also China’s economy is continuing to accelerate at a rapid rate and may even surpass the West in the near future. One of the main reasons for the “Great Divergence” is because of an underlying “Cultural Divergence,” which began as far back as in the “Axial Age” (c. 800-200 BCE). This “Cultural Divergence” was due to the beginning of the western philosophies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in contrast to that of Confucius in China. Understanding this “Cultural Divergence” is relevant today because it may help explain China’s lag behind the West, its recent ascent in economic power, and the impact of this cultural perspective in economic development. Keywords: China, the “Great Divergence,” Confucianism. Introduction The West (Western Europe and by extension the United States) has led the world in technological, economic, political and social advancement over the past two hundred years, eclipsing all other world civilizations. The origins of occurrence is often referred to as the “Great Divergence,” a phrase coined by the late American political scientist Samuel P. Huntington.1 However, prior to 1800 China was the world leader in technology, commerce, and political power. China is currently not only catching up to the West but may soon regain its leading role as the dominant world influence. Avoiding a Eurocentric2 history, three questions need to be answered: first, how do we account for the rapid economic development of 19th-century Western Europe in comparison to China? Second, why did China begin to lag behind the West during the past two centuries? Finally, how do we explain the recent return of China to global prominence? Established scholars such as Jared Diamond and Robert Marks have produced compelling non-Eurocentric accounts of the “Great Divergence.” However, these models can be overly reductive and incomplete. Both authors provide explanations that stem ultimately from geographical accident. Research suggests that what is overlooked in these corrective models is the historical impact of human culture. As such, it seems more appropriate to redefine the “Great Divergence” as a “Cultural Divergence” that can be linked to the contrasting ideologies of the West and those of China. Further, the roots of this divergence may lie not in the 19th century, but actually run as far back as the “Axial Age” (c. 800-200 BCE) and the founding of Confucianism. In the end, it is clear that Confucianism must be a key component in the explanation of not only the “Great Divergence,” but also China’s recent rapid return to world eminence. Classic Arguments for the “Great Divergence” Jared Diamond, in Guns, Germs, and Steel (1997), argues that the reason for the “Great Divergence” is that “History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples’ environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves”’5 Additionally, Diamond sees the causes for the “Great Divergence” as primarily environmental (even just accidents of geography), mediated by agriculture, population
Object Description
Title of Work | "Great Divergence" Redefined: The Rise and Fall of the West and the Recovery of China |
Author | Molly B. Kroker |
Scholarship Group | Scholars Day |
Summary of Work | Up until the 19th century, China had held a position of world power; however, for the last two hundred years the West has dominated the world technologically, economically, and politically. The point at which the West began its relative dominance over all other world civilizations is known as "the Great Divergence." Currently, a steady change has been developing in China. Not only has China caught up to the West but also China's economy is continuing to accelerate at a rapid rate and may even surpass the West in the near future. One of the main reasons for the "Great Divergence" is because of an underlying "Cultural Divergence" which began as far back as in the "Axial Age" (c. 800-200 BCE). This "Cultural Divergence" was due to the beginning of the western philosophies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in contrast to that of Confucius in China. Understanding this "Cultural Divergence" is relevant today because it may help explain China's lag behind the West, its recent ascent in economic power, and the impact of this cultural perspective in economic development. |
Advisor | Andrew J. Hamilton |
Date of Student Graduation | 2012 |
Date of Work | 2013-04-13 |
Degree Name | Bachelor of Arts |
Major/Program | History |
School | School of Humanities |
Type of Material | Text |
File Name | 2013_sd_kro.pdf |
Material Format | PDF/A |
Usage Rights | This item cannot be copied, reproduced, or transmitted in any form, by any means, without the express written permission of the author. |
Description
Title of Work | "Great Divergence" Redefined: The Rise and Fall of the West and the Recovery of China - Page 1 |
Full Text Search | Proceedings of The National Conference On Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2013 University of Wisconsin La Crosse, WI April 11 – 13, 2013 The “Great Divergence” Redefined: The Rise & Fall of the West & The Recovery of China Molly Britt Kroker Department of History Viterbo University 900 Viterbo Drive La Crosse, WI 54601 USA Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrew J. Hamilton Abstract Up until the 19th century, China had held a position of world power; however, for the last two hundred years the West has dominated the world technologically, economically, and politically. The point at which the West began its relative dominance over all other world civilizations is known as “the Great Divergence.” Currently, a steady change has been developing in China. Not only has China caught up to the West but also China’s economy is continuing to accelerate at a rapid rate and may even surpass the West in the near future. One of the main reasons for the “Great Divergence” is because of an underlying “Cultural Divergence,” which began as far back as in the “Axial Age” (c. 800-200 BCE). This “Cultural Divergence” was due to the beginning of the western philosophies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in contrast to that of Confucius in China. Understanding this “Cultural Divergence” is relevant today because it may help explain China’s lag behind the West, its recent ascent in economic power, and the impact of this cultural perspective in economic development. Keywords: China, the “Great Divergence,” Confucianism. Introduction The West (Western Europe and by extension the United States) has led the world in technological, economic, political and social advancement over the past two hundred years, eclipsing all other world civilizations. The origins of occurrence is often referred to as the “Great Divergence,” a phrase coined by the late American political scientist Samuel P. Huntington.1 However, prior to 1800 China was the world leader in technology, commerce, and political power. China is currently not only catching up to the West but may soon regain its leading role as the dominant world influence. Avoiding a Eurocentric2 history, three questions need to be answered: first, how do we account for the rapid economic development of 19th-century Western Europe in comparison to China? Second, why did China begin to lag behind the West during the past two centuries? Finally, how do we explain the recent return of China to global prominence? Established scholars such as Jared Diamond and Robert Marks have produced compelling non-Eurocentric accounts of the “Great Divergence.” However, these models can be overly reductive and incomplete. Both authors provide explanations that stem ultimately from geographical accident. Research suggests that what is overlooked in these corrective models is the historical impact of human culture. As such, it seems more appropriate to redefine the “Great Divergence” as a “Cultural Divergence” that can be linked to the contrasting ideologies of the West and those of China. Further, the roots of this divergence may lie not in the 19th century, but actually run as far back as the “Axial Age” (c. 800-200 BCE) and the founding of Confucianism. In the end, it is clear that Confucianism must be a key component in the explanation of not only the “Great Divergence,” but also China’s recent rapid return to world eminence. Classic Arguments for the “Great Divergence” Jared Diamond, in Guns, Germs, and Steel (1997), argues that the reason for the “Great Divergence” is that “History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples’ environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves”’5 Additionally, Diamond sees the causes for the “Great Divergence” as primarily environmental (even just accidents of geography), mediated by agriculture, population |