[Another contribution to the ‘why China never made it to an industrial revolution whilst the West did’ discussion.]
Ruanzhuo Zhai from the Renmin University and Xiaoyang Luan from the HKU Business School have identified a period in China’s comparatively recent history, from the 10th to the 14th century, when a mercantilistic school of Confucianism flourished.
Where did this new school of thought come from, and what snuffed it out forcing China to turn again inwards with ultimately disastrous results?
The paper gets into some very dense weeds (I had trouble) that you can review via the following link Where Ideas Come From but the conclusions are simple enough.
Where did the more progressive, capitalist friendly, school of Confucianism come from? It had its roots in areas that were ahead of others economically. [Natch!]
What led, eventually, to the tamping down of this school of thought? Almost certainly the strength of the Imperial System which conferred such reliable benefits that even successful merchant’s offspring were sucked in via the imperial exam system (科举制度, kējǔ zhìdù).
Often touted as an egalitarian leveler these exams must have been, in fact, anything but; the rigors of preparation would have made it impossible for any but the offspring of the very well off to participate.
The paper doesn’t say as much but I’ll throw my own two pennyworth in here. China’s Imperial System of government may have failed due to its reliance on hierarchy, the West by comparison had begun circumscribing the power of its rulers from the time of the Magna Carta in 1215. A point with some resonance today and, Q.E.D. perhaps?
Happy Sunday.