Great Divergence

(4 Credits)

In 1500 the economic, social, and political differences between Europe and Asia were small. By the twentieth century, the gaps were enormous. How can we explain this Great Divergence between Europe and Asia? The course will discuss the classical answers to this question given by Weber, Smith, Marx, and Malthus. Has modern research confirmed or contradicted their views? The roles of demography, politics, law, globalization, social structure, science, and technology will be discussed as well as the interconnections between them. The course aims to expose the methods that social scientists and historians use to answer grand questions of social evolution, so that the approaches can be compared, contrasted, and assessed.