The Victory of Reason
How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success
by Rodney Stark · first published 2005
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…perspective was always trying to explain things with models. Another cultural difference was the European notion (intentional or otherwise) of free markets. This is expounded upon by another book, "The Victory of Reason" by Stark https://www.amazon.com/Victory-Reason-Christianity-Freedom-C... My own observation of history is that the key factor is recognition of and protection of the rights of life, liberty and the…
on “Jared Diamond: A Reply to His Critics” ↗In The Victory of Reason, Rodney Stark says that Imperial China actually had an industrial revolution, in the 11th century. They produced 100,000 tons of iron. They were using the iron to improve productivity of other things.…
on “Why no Roman industrial revolution?” ↗…taught in public schools - not my fault. But I have a cite for you: "Chapter 2 examines the material and religious foundations of capitalism that were laid down during the so-called Dark Ages." -- The Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark, pg. xiv Capitalism is a heluva lot older than 1549.
on “California needs real math education, not gimmicks” ↗My source is "The Victory of Reason" by Rodney Stark starting on page 131. https://www.amazon.com/Victory-Reason-Christianity-Freedom-C...
on “Institutions try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution” ↗…killed them was the mandarin bureaucracy. The mandarins saw that some commoners were getting rich in the iron industry, declared it to be contrary to the proper order, and shut it down. (Source: "The Victory of Reason" by Rodney Stark.)
on “Why did we wait so long for the bicycle?” ↗…and the government shut down the iron industry, and the whole thing stopped. But they could have had at least the beginnings of the industrial revolution five centuries before England. (Source: The Victory of Reason, by Rodney Stark.) Second, China had fleets that dominated at least the Far East, and could have dominated the Indian Ocean. But shortly after 1434, the Chinese emperor decreed an end to the voyages…
on “Books to Understand Economics” ↗