This is a nice post. I have a similar feeling about 18th century Britain—they are just discovering that you should innovate, and do so in every possible direction.
The argument is also consequential. Suppose people avoided innovation even though it was easy and profitable.
Where does that leave progress studies/economics?
On a basic level, easy: materialism is out, and culturalism is in.
However, then you realize that material incentives and rational choice provide the intellectual scaffolding for a vast share of all research in economic history. Cultural explanations are on the rise with Jacobs, Mokyr, and McCloskey, but while they are stimulating (and important!) conjectures, they’re far from rational choice in terms of coherence and sharpness.
So on one level, the post is a fun observation about innovation, but on a deeper level, it asks us to reconceptualize vast swaths of social science!
I’m glad Hannes should notice this deeper implication, as it is certainly one thing I had intended when I originally wrote this piece! When I give seminars to economists, convincing them that innovation might be outside of one’s choice-set is one of the first and most difficult things I try to do.
This is a nice post. I have a similar feeling about 18th century Britain—they are just discovering that you should innovate, and do so in every possible direction.
The argument is also consequential. Suppose people avoided innovation even though it was easy and profitable.
Where does that leave progress studies/economics?
On a basic level, easy: materialism is out, and culturalism is in.
However, then you realize that material incentives and rational choice provide the intellectual scaffolding for a vast share of all research in economic history. Cultural explanations are on the rise with Jacobs, Mokyr, and McCloskey, but while they are stimulating (and important!) conjectures, they’re far from rational choice in terms of coherence and sharpness.
So on one level, the post is a fun observation about innovation, but on a deeper level, it asks us to reconceptualize vast swaths of social science!
Fascinating reframing! I hadn’t thought about it like that at all…
I’m glad Hannes should notice this deeper implication, as it is certainly one thing I had intended when I originally wrote this piece! When I give seminars to economists, convincing them that innovation might be outside of one’s choice-set is one of the first and most difficult things I try to do.