Ricardo wrote:
>Thanks for posting this review. It will make it easier for those
>unfamiliar with Pomeranz's book to follow some of what am saying.
>Review offers a very accurate rendition of the structure of P's
>argument, though I think Perdue is far too optimistic about the
>ultimate contribution of this book. P.O Brien told me it will be a
>classic. It is certainly the best book coming out of the so-called
>'California School'. Pomeranz, keep in mind, is no Marxist. You will
>not find a single reference to Marx, and only one page on Brenner,
>whose argument, P says, is a mere variation to the old
>neoclassical model, "oddly aligned with Douglass North". But P's
>approach, too, is neo-classical cum Malthusian despite his
>comparative (world-system?) perspective.
It is times like this that I really miss Jim Blaut. I tried to find some
references by him to Pomeranz's book on the world history list, but there
seemed to be nothing substantial. I have not read the entire book, but it
strikes me as a variation on the kinds of arguments found in "8 Eurocentric
Historians." Although Pomeranz does take colonization into account, he
turns coal into a kind of unilinear explanation for the take-off of Europe
in much the same way that other historians prioritize climate or soil. In
this way, "objective" conditions tend to explain things rather than the
conscious acts of ruling classes. It is a Hegelian sort of history, with
Nature substituting for Spirit. At least Pomeranz dispense with all the
Weberian baloney about rationality, etc. If I find the time over the next
month or so, I might read the book. I have only read the first 50 pages or so.
Louis Proyect
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