The whole point here is the idea that society was simply not ready for such innovations. Who needs steam power? You have cheap slaves. Plenty of them. Glorious Roman steel can even bring you more, and so on.
This is not about pure mechanics or mathematics. This is about social development. Civilsational development.
What “civilizational development”, as you refer to it, would you say that The Netherlands lacked during the Dutch Golden Age? What hindered them from industrializing 200 years before England?
Dutch? We are talking about Late antiquity. Again, my point is that Roman empire was a totally different world. In all senses.
About the Netherlands. Do not understand your question. I do not know a lot about Dutch trade empire, but my knowledge is sufficient to conclude that they were a technological leader. Their emipre stretched from Moluccas to South Africa, they basically invented capitalism as it is and created first full-time stock exchange.
The whole point here is the idea that society was simply not ready for such innovations. Who needs steam power? You have cheap slaves. Plenty of them. Glorious Roman steel can even bring you more, and so on.
This is not about pure mechanics or mathematics. This is about social development. Civilsational development.
What “civilizational development”, as you refer to it, would you say that The Netherlands lacked during the Dutch Golden Age? What hindered them from industrializing 200 years before England?
Turns out ACOUP’s last week post is precisely about this question. https://acoup.blog/2022/08/26/collections-why-no-roman-industrial-revolution/
I swear half my comments on the Internet these days are just links to that blog...
Dutch? We are talking about Late antiquity. Again, my point is that Roman empire was a totally different world. In all senses.
About the Netherlands. Do not understand your question. I do not know a lot about Dutch trade empire, but my knowledge is sufficient to conclude that they were a technological leader. Their emipre stretched from Moluccas to South Africa, they basically invented capitalism as it is and created first full-time stock exchange.
Please elaborate what do you want to ask here.