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Why Europe? : The Medieval Origins of Its Special Path /

Why did capitalism and colonialism arise in Europe and not elsewhere? Why were parliamentarian and democratic forms of government founded there? What factors led to Europe's unique position in shaping the world? Thoroughly researched and persuasively argued, Why Europe? tackles these classic qu...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Mitterauer, Michael (Autor, Contribuidor)
Otros Autores: Chapple, Gerald (Contribuidor)
Formato: Electrónico eBook
Idioma:Inglés
Publicado: Chicago : University of Chicago Press, [2010]
Temas:
Acceso en línea:Texto completo
Descripción
Sumario:Why did capitalism and colonialism arise in Europe and not elsewhere? Why were parliamentarian and democratic forms of government founded there? What factors led to Europe's unique position in shaping the world? Thoroughly researched and persuasively argued, Why Europe? tackles these classic questions with illuminating results. Michael Mitterauer traces the roots of Europe's singularity to the medieval era, specifically to developments in agriculture. While most historians have located the beginning of Europe's special path in the rise of state power in the modern era, Mitterauer establishes its origins in rye and oats. These new crops played a decisive role in remaking the European family, he contends, spurring the rise of individualism and softening the constraints of patriarchy. Mitterauer reaches these conclusions by comparing Europe with other cultures, especially China and the Islamic world, while surveying the most important characteristics of European society as they took shape from the decline of the Roman empire to the invention of the printing press. Along the way, Why Europe? offers up a dazzling series of novel hypotheses to explain the unique evolution of European culture.
Descripción Física:1 online resource (400 p.)
ISBN:9780226532387
9783110635386
Acceso:restricted access