A cura di @GiMa.

Partendo da una lettura del romanzo ucronico The Kingdom of the Wicked, lo storico dell’economia Mark Koyama si chiede se una rivoluzione industriale sarebbe stata possibile ai tempi di Tiberio, nel 31 d.C, da un punto di vista politico, economico e sopratutto culturale.

For decades, historians were deeply skeptical of the potential of the ancient world to generate sustained economic growth. Influenced by Moses Finlay and Karl Polanyi, historians saw the ancient and modern worlds as separated by a cultural and economic chasm. Prior to the Industrial Revolution-era leaping of this chasm, individuals supposedly lacked “economic rationality,” did not seek opportunities to maximize profit, and were disinclined to use new technology for economic purposes.

Immagine da Flickr.