Here’s a link to an interview from the Washington Post with Joel Mokyr of Northwestern University who is the author of “A Culture of Growth: The Origins of the Modern Economy.”
LINK: Why the Industrial Revolution didn’t happen in China
One of the primary themes of the discussion is how China chose order over competition, and, as such, lost its long held technological primacy.
The practical application of scientific knowledge, and the willingness to challenge old orders of thought, stand out as the main catalysts behind Europe’s industrial inception and advancement.