Jacob Weisdorf
DKK 935,000 funded by The Carlsberg Foundation 'Semper Ardens' Monographs (01.01.2019)
Title: The Health and poverty of nations reconsidered
The project looks at the core drivers of modern economic growth. Traditional explanations point to technical progress as the root cause of the triggering event, the industrial revolution. Recent research suggests, however, that economic growth predates the industrial revolution by more than two centuries. The current project argues that the industrial revolution was prompted by 16th- and 17th-century working-class people who decided to increase their income-generating activities; to have fewer children; and to invest a growing share of resources in their children's education. More money increased the working class' demand for consumption goods, which inspired producers to search for more productive technologies. Better educated workers in turn helped more productive technologies to occur. Read more here
DKK 935,000 funded by The Carlsberg Foundation 'Semper Ardens' Monographs (01.01.2019)
Title: The Health and poverty of nations reconsidered
The project looks at the core drivers of modern economic growth. Traditional explanations point to technical progress as the root cause of the triggering event, the industrial revolution. Recent research suggests, however, that economic growth predates the industrial revolution by more than two centuries. The current project argues that the industrial revolution was prompted by 16th- and 17th-century working-class people who decided to increase their income-generating activities; to have fewer children; and to invest a growing share of resources in their children's education. More money increased the working class' demand for consumption goods, which inspired producers to search for more productive technologies. Better educated workers in turn helped more productive technologies to occur. Read more here