《西方世界的兴起》讨论的经济史问题

On the Problems of Economic History Discussed in The Rise of Western World

1973年出版的《西方世界的兴起》一书,用经济增长作为衡量依据,认为经济增长的原因是为经济创新提供刺激,决定经济增长的是有效的所有权的发展和有效率的经济组织的发展。产权是通过心理作出激励,组织是针对秩序进行管理。促成经济增长的因素依次为:市场扩展、新兴的商人阶级、商业创新、交易费用下降和价格变动、生产率增益。在商业领域,自由和平等主要是自由竞争,平等赚钱。文艺复兴强化了自由意识,致使专制特权被弱化;宗教改革强化了平等意识,致使教权被弱化。相对而言,民权得到强化。新贵族阶层就是新生的资产阶级。市民阶级始终具有自由意识。与行会衰落反向而动的市民社会发展,使吐故纳新后的市民阶级为在将来的资本主义确立中所起的作用做好了必要的准备。中央制的民族国家有议会,关注由议会权力还是由王权来控制征税权。政府可能供给了符合社会利益的制度,也可能供给了偏离社会利益的制度,这些制度会给经济的效率带来促进或促退的不同结果。

Taking the economy growth as the measure, The Rise of Western World published in 1973 advocates that economy growth is to provide stimulus for economy innovation and economy growth is dertermined by efficient development of ownership and economic organization. Specifically, ownership system provides stimulus via psychology, and organizations manage aiming to maintain order. The factors to promote economy growth are market expansion, new emerged merchants class, business innovation, fall of trade fee, price wave, and improvement of productivity. In business field, freedom and equality mainly refer to free competition and equal chance to earn money. Renaissance enhances the consciousness of freedom which leads to the weak of autocracy, while religious reform strengthens the consciousness of equality which leads to the weak of religious power. As a result, the civil power is enhanced. Different to the fall of guild, the civil society begins to develop which leads to the new civil class make full preparation for the establishment of capitalism. The congress in the centralized national countries puts its focus on whether the congress or king controlls taxation. In general, the government can make systems that are good or bad to the social interests, which in turn determines the development or degeneration of the economy efficiency.