Tag: individual rights
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Why did it take so long for humans to have the Industrial Revolution?
Marginal Revolution: Why did it take so long for humans to have the Industrial Revolution? … More generally, extended periods of economic growth require that technologies of defense outweigh technologies of predation. They may also require that the successful defender, at the same time, has good enough technology to predate someone else and accumulate a…
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Prosperity: Respect for the Individual
We hear much today about the destructiveness of individualism. It no doubt is a significant cultural issue. But only recently has such excessive focus on the individual emerged. Throughout history, individuals were considered subordinate to society or rulers. An individual's existence and liberty were maintained primarily at the pleasure of the societal elite. Elaborate religious…
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Prosperity: Opening Thoughts on Cultural Environment
We have visited five elements within the cycle of prosperity: technology, food supply, human capital, economic growth and wealth, and trade. We have seen how these five interact in mutually reinforcing organic ways to generate prosperity. We have also seen how the environment and natural resources can influence how an economy develops. We turn now…