Why the West Rules - For Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future

摘要

The rise of the East and the decline of the West, separately or together, are familiar themes for those concerned about international relations and geo-politics in the twenty-first century. Explanations for the global dominance of the West from the middle of the eighteenth century are of two types: what Ian Morris, a classical historian and archaeologist at Stanford, calls 'long-term lock in' and 'short-term accident' theories, although there are a wide range of mutually incompatible theories within each category. But even the 'long-termers' tend to look back no further than 500 years or so. In an analytical tour de force, aided by an engaging style, Morris offers a different perspective.