厦门大学经济学系邀请Prof. Ronald A. Edwards作了一场题为“Economic Revolution: Song China & England(经济改革-宋代和英国)”的讲座,厦门大学经济学系拥有理论经济学一级学科博士学位授予权,即一级学科涵盖下的所有二级学科均可招收博士研究生,设有博士后流动站,并获得理论经济学一级学科国家重点学科称号。下设二级学科硕士专业为:政治经济学、经济思想史、西方经济学、经济史、人口、资源与环境经济学和发展经济学、管理经济学(自主设置专业)。经济学系本科专业为经济学,该经济学在职研究生专业是教育部选定“国家经济学基础人才培养基地”之一,每年有30%—50%的毕业生被推荐免试攻读硕士学位。在职研究生讲座的主要内容是:
我主张中国在宋代(公元960 - 1279 AD)(宋以后中国)经历了一场经济革命的开始,前英国近千年。经济改革的概念定义为包括两种类型 - 一个前现代(基于非科学)与人均产品的高增长率,人均产品的低增长率和一个现代(科学为基础的)。有人认为,宋代中国与英格兰的比较是比英格兰其他比较更有意义。同时使用歌中国和英国剧集,我介绍了识别初步的社会变革“经济革命的开始”的新定义。我把这个萌芽阶段,并争辩说,它会导致公司的形成,家庭的变化,并增加了技术创新的步伐。我认为萌芽阶段更清楚地标识和日期一场经济革命的发生。这对因果理论重要影响。
I claim that China during the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 AD) (Song China hereafter) experienced the onset of an Economic Revolution, preceding England’s by nearly a millennium. The concept of Economic Revolution is defined to include two types – one Premodern (non-science based) with a low growth rate of per capita product and one Modern (science-based) with a high growth rate of per capita product. It is argued that the Song China vs. England comparison is more relevant than other comparisons with England. Using both the Song China and England episodes, I introduce a new definition of the “onset of an Economic Revolution” that identifies preliminary social changes. I call this the Embryonic Stage and contend that it causes firm formation, household changes and an increase in the pace of technological innovation. I argue the Embryonic Stage more clearly identifies and dates the onset of an Economic Revolution. This has important implications for causal theories.