中西方历史灾荒成因比较研究

Comparative Research on the Reason of Natural Disasters in Ancient China and European Countries

灾荒的发生主要与灾害的严重程度和社会对灾民的救助有关。通过对比研究中国和古代欧洲国家之间灾荒的发生演变情况,结果显示中西方灾荒的发生具有显著的原因差别:中国的灾荒主要是由于社会救助不力造成的,在原因层面属于弹性灾荒;欧洲的灾荒主要是因为灾害的强度导致的,属于刚性灾荒的范畴。

The Occurrence of famine and natural disasters is mainly related to the destruction extent of calamity and the action of social relief. The reason of natural disasters that occurred in ancient China and European countries can be distinguished evidently by comparing the historical situation in the two areas. The famine and natural disasters in China was linked mostly to the action of famine relief, so it is elastic famine. On the contrary the famine and natural disasters in European countries was primarily related with the extent of natural disasters, thus it is rigid famine.