現在読んでいる洋書 ”Why Nations Fail”(邦題:国家はなぜ衰退するのか)に関する書評記事を数回に分けて書いています。
今回は第4章(Small differences and Critical Junctures:The Weight of History)を中心とした書評になります。
本章では14世紀に欧州で大流行したペスト(黒死病)の影響を取り上げています。ペストは、ネズミに寄生するノミが媒介して人に感染する病気で、わずかの間に英国の人口は半分になったということです。
ペストによって労働力人口が大幅に減少したことで、中世ヨーロッパの基盤であった封建制が揺らぎ、inclusiveな労働市場が出現し、賃金が上昇しました。
但し、このような動きは欧州全土で起きたわけではなく、西欧と東欧では違いが生じました。
英国(西欧)においては、黒死病はよりIncrusiveな世界へのcritical junctureとなりましたが、東欧ではよりExtractiveな社会が強化される契機になりました。
【English】
In Why Nations Fail, the authors argue that political and economic institutions shape the success or failure of nations. One of the central themes is the role of historical events in creating divergent paths for societies.
A powerful example they discuss is the Black Death, the devastating plague that swept through Europe in the 14th century. Transmitted by fleas living on rats, the Black Death first appeared in the Black Sea region in 1346. Its impact on Europe was catastrophic, particularly in England, where the population was reduced by half in a short period.
The massive loss of life had a critical impact on the labor force. With fewer workers available, the feudal order that had dominated medieval Europe began to crumble. Labor became scarce and more valuable, creating new economic opportunities. As a result, wages increased, and an inclusive labor market emerged. This shift, in turn, paved the way for the development of institutions.
Furthermore, this inclusive environment in England contributed to key historical events like the Glorious Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, which further solidified a more inclusive economic system.
However, the effects of the Black Death were not uniform across Europe. While England saw the rise of inclusive institutions, the outcomes were different in Eastern Europe. Instead, it marked the beginning of more extractive institutions, where power remained concentrated in the hands of elites, and the majority of the population continued to be exploited. In Eastern Europe, the Black Death was a critical juncture, but in a different direction—contributing to the emergence of more extractive systems rather than inclusive ones.
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