"Jim Wilkins" on Mon, 4 Nov 2019 15:45:08 -0500
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
"whit3rd" wrote in message
...
On Friday, October 25, 2019 at 12:52:31 PM UTC-7, Jim Wilkins wrote:

An engineer from India who resented the USA and Europe's domination
of
the modern world asked me why Europe had suddenly surged ahead of
everyone else, particularly India and China, and I couldn't fully
answer him.

One theory: the black death resulted in younger property owners, who
could
foresee a long life ahead, and weren't inclined to be staid and
conservative.
So, they innovated.

https://dailyhistory.org/How_did_Pet...Renaissance%3F
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerolamo_Cardano

However, great minds in Persia, India and China did not spark similar
advances.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Khwarizmi

I wonder if the difference was cultural attitudes to change.

Bingo. It is interesting to note that much of the scientific
development of The West (specifically England,) was done by
Dissenters, those who were not part of the Established Church.
Likewise the early Golden Age of the Muslim world had as much to do
with non-muslim scholars, and a desire by Muslim potentates to "show
off." But that changed in the 12th (??) Century with a judgment that
what we would call "science" was not compatible with Islam.

It has also been said that one issue which helped hold China back
was the Mandate of Heaven. If the Emperor said "do it" it got done.
If he said "nope" - it didn't happen. I'm thinking of the expeditions
which reached to Madagascar(iirc), but were ended "suddenly", the
ships left to rot on the beach.



But it is a puzzlement.

--
pyotr filipivich
"With Age comes Wisdom. Although far too often, Age travels alone."