Explore a thought-provoking TED talk by historian Niall Ferguson as he delves into the reasons behind Western cultures' prosperity over the past few centuries. Discover the "6 killer apps" - big ideas from Western culture that have promoted wealth, stability, and innovation. Learn how these apps, including competition, scientific revolution, property rights, modern medicine, consumer society, and the work ethic, have shaped the Western world's success. Examine Ferguson's analysis of why the West has prospered more than other regions and consider his perspective on the potential for these ideas to be shared globally in the new century. Gain insights into the historical factors that have contributed to economic disparities between cultures and contemplate the future implications of these shareable "apps" for global development and prosperity.
Overview
Syllabus
Intro
It wasn't just economic ...
Rasselas's question
Muteferrika's answer
It's not geography
It's not national character
It's ideas and institutions
Smith On China
The West's killer apps
Competition ...
versus uniformity
The Scientific Revolution
versus theocracy
John Locke's property rights
Modern medicine
Versus sorcery
The consumer society
versus bare necessities
versus the leisure preference
Where's the science now?
Because the killer apps can be downloaded
Is the West deleting its own apps?
Can Africa get the sequence right?
Can China do without App 3?
(Western) Civilization defined
Western decline isn't inevitable
But the Great Divergence is over, folks
Taught by
TED
