HIST 2710 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Surplus Labour, Mark Elvin, Ethnocentrism
Document Summary
Europe was changing dramatically in comparison to asia. Post-ww2, western scholars prefer traditional (asia) Idea of modernity in europe as awakening from the dark ages (medieval times) More recent idea of early modern europe (ren& ref period) Cf. idea of late imperial period of chinese history (ming qing) Traditional as culmination of long centuries of cultural developments and changes; the situation in ming-qing times, before major contact with western civilization and ideas. Before 1960s, general assumption by western and chinese scholars that chinese tradition was strong in philosophy, literature, and art but had little to no. Science and technology i. e. science and technology as practiced in early 20th century west. Francis bacon quoted china about it"s great inventions (compass, printing, and gunpowder) Sinocentric reading of this quote in 20th century china: Chinese civilization had developed these vital inventions, and passed them on to other (more backward) societies.
