This (especially Huff) seems like a very fine-grained question, as if you already know the answers to coarser questions, like why not Rome or the Song dynasty or Roger Bacon? If you see history as a long arc of progress with China a little ahead, then it is natural to ask what happened at the end, a sudden sprint or a stumble. But do you understand history well enough to justify such a question?
History is not monotone. There are definite dips, such as the Western Dark Ages and the chaos between Chinese dynasties. But is each dynasty better than the last? You should try to plot a rough curve, rather than asking the binary of science being invented or not. Trying to explain more bits of information is usually easier.
Progress is not uni-dimensional. The Song was the most commercial dynasty. But should we expect it to be the most scientific? People usually say that the Greeks were better at science, the Romans at engineering. Instead of asking why China failed to progress, ask why Roman regressed, without the obvious cause of a collapse. How is uneven progress possible?
This (especially Huff) seems like a very fine-grained question, as if you already know the answers to coarser questions, like why not Rome or the Song dynasty or Roger Bacon? If you see history as a long arc of progress with China a little ahead, then it is natural to ask what happened at the end, a sudden sprint or a stumble. But do you understand history well enough to justify such a question?
History is not monotone. There are definite dips, such as the Western Dark Ages and the chaos between Chinese dynasties. But is each dynasty better than the last? You should try to plot a rough curve, rather than asking the binary of science being invented or not. Trying to explain more bits of information is usually easier.
Progress is not uni-dimensional. The Song was the most commercial dynasty. But should we expect it to be the most scientific? People usually say that the Greeks were better at science, the Romans at engineering. Instead of asking why China failed to progress, ask why Roman regressed, without the obvious cause of a collapse. How is uneven progress possible?