中国的疆域变化与走出农本社会的冲动-李约瑟之谜的经济地理学解析

为何科学革命只发生于欧洲,是李约瑟之谜的重要部分.该文将之归于地理禀赋.宋朝的地理禀赋条件对农本社会的自我延续最为不利,却反以城市工商业和民间海外贸易的繁荣,以及技术创新的频繁著称于世.元朝后中国疆域相对人口获得周期性的扩大,反使中国周期性地向农本社会倒退.自此,中国失去了本土性科学革命的必要条件.

CHANGES IN CHINA'S TERRITORY AND ITS IMPULSE TO COME OUT OF THE AGRARIAN TRAP:AN ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY APPROACH TO THE NEEDHAM PUZZLE

WHY DID THE SCIENCE REVOLUTION TAKE PLACE IN EUROPE, BUT NOT IN CHINA? THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE NEEDHAM PUZZLE. THIS PAPER ARGUES THAT IT WAS THE DIFFERENCES AND CHANGES IN GEOGRAPHICAL ENDOWMENTS THAT ARE THE ULTIMATE ANSWER TO THIS PUZZLE. THE SUNG DYNASTY LOST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TERRITORY TO THE INVADING NOMADIC PEOPLE, BUT EXPERIENCED FAST URBANIZATION, PROSPEROUS COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES, AND FREQUENT TECHNICAL INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES. THE EXPANSION OF ITS TERRITORY RELATIVE TO ITS POPULAT...