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Life History Theory and economic modernity
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2019
Abstract
Baumard's new explanation of the Industrial Revolution shows that Life History Theory holds great potential. Here, I suggest two related hypotheses for examination. One is that there are long-term roots of slow life traits and preferences. The other is that Life History Theory can explain other aspects of economic modernity such as the Scientific Revolution and bureaucratic states. If so, then Life History Theory offers a way to reconcile several bodies of evidence and lines of explanation into a coherent general account of economic modernity.
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- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019
References
Crafts, N. F. (1977) Industrial revolution in England and France: Some thoughts on the question, “why was England first?” The Economic History Review 30:429–41.Google Scholar
Galor, O. & Özak, Ö. (2016) The agricultural origins of time preference. American Economic Review 106:3064–103.Google Scholar
Schulz, J., Bahrami-Rad, D., Beauchamp, J., and Henrich, J. (2018) The origins of WEIRD psychology (June 22, 2018). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3201031 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3201031.Google Scholar
Target article
Psychological origins of the Industrial Revolution
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Author response
Psychological origins of the Industrial Revolution: More work is needed!