Two separate, but oddly interrelated graphs this morning. The first, shows the Great Divergence, referencing the dramatic increase in productivity (as measured by constant PPP dollars per capita) in Western Europe compared to the rest of the world. It starts earliest with Britain circa 1650 and then spreads to much of Western Europe by the mid-1850s.
Source: Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maddison_GDP_per_capita_1500-1950.svg
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This is obviously related to the rise of mercantilism, the improvement in logistics technology, the industrial revolution, and the rise of specific institutions and cultural attributes.
The Great Divergence is well established and much discussed.
The interesting corresponding graphs which I saw this morning are related to the rise of education, science, and education institutions in the West. This is from Rise of the West by Inquisitive Bird. These figures are normalized by per capita.
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The following is for UK only but reflects the same trend line.
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There are a couple of points arising from this compilation.
The first is that the rise in education clearly preceded the rise in productivity. One could make the argument that existence of schools or universities are the mere artifacts of prosperity but that is not what is evidenced in this granular data. These graphs are consistent with the hypothesis that deepening (increasing specialization) education and widening (more access) education are predicates to improved efficiency and productivity.
They also give the lie to a popular shibboleth that the prosperity of the West was build on the exploitation of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
It is clearly the case that the development of both institutions of knowledge creation and dissemination not only pre-dated the rise in productivity but also significantly predated material contact between Europe and the rest of the world.
The logistical reconnecting of the world was marked by the voyage of Vasco de Gama in 1497 when he was the first European to reach India by sea. Mercantile or other exploitation could only occur once maritime shipping became feasible in the 1500s.
Britain was already on its upward trajectory of the Great Divergence well preceding either the industrial revolution or the rise of maritime shipping. What did precede the increase in productivity was the rise of scientific investigation and the spread of institutions of learning.
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