中东世界为何衰落?——一个政治经济学框架

Why did the Middle East Lag Behind? A Political-Economic Framework

中东世界与西欧的大分流是经济史领域长盛不衰的研究议题,以往的研究认为西欧持续的经济增长源于其特殊的制度框架,却忽视了制度的起源问题。通过比较中东世界与西欧权力结构的不同形成路径,Eric Chaney教授为大分流提供了一个新的政治经济学框架,作者认为中世纪的军事冲击,塑造了中东与西欧迥然不同的权力结构,这一结构决定了两者的核心制度安排。基于这一研究框架,作者考察了中东与西欧政治分流的起源、意识形态力量在国家权力运行中的作用以及伊斯兰科学的兴衰等议题,为我们理解伊斯兰世界的历史动态性提供了富有启发性的视角。

The great divergence between Europe and the Islamic Middle East is a perennial topic in the field of economic history.An influential literature sees the roots of sustained economic growth in Europe’s unique institutional framework but fails to account for its origin.Based on comparison of the power structure formation between Europe and the Islamic Middle East,Professor Eric Chaney proposes a politicaleconomic framework for the debate of the great divergence.The author argues that a divergent power structure,caused by a medieval military shock,determined the core institutional arrangement between Europe and the Islamic Middle East.Employing this theoretical framework,the author explores the origins of political divergence between Europe and the Islamic Middle East,the influence of ideological power and the rise and fall of Islamic science,which provides rich insights for understanding the historical dynamics of the Islamic Middle East.