ClippingKK

Political and economic institutions shaped the response to technological innovation, creating once again the familiar pattern of interaction between existing institutions and critical junctures leading to divergence in institutions and economic outcomes.

世界上所有的文字最早都是从音发展而来的，西方的拼音文字是这样，中国的汉字其实也是这样。早期的汉语，同音必定同义，音和义是不分的，越到后来，同音义异的现象越厉害，以至书面语和口头语的差别也越来越大，现在的同音字意思可以完全不相干，但早期往往不是这样的。汉语的发展趋势在这一点上和西方语言有点不一样

The effort to build and consolidate absolutism in Spain was massively aided by the discovery of precious metals in the Americas.

As we have seen, the political developments leading up to the Glorious Revolution were shaped by several interlinked processes. Central was the political conflict between absolutism and its opponents. The outcome of this conflict not only put a stop to the attempts to create a renewed and stronger absolutism in England, but also empowered those wishing to fundamentally change the institutions of society. The opponents of absolutism did not simply attempt to build a different type of absolutism. This was not simply the House of Lancaster defeating the House of York in the War of the Roses. Instead, the Glorious Revolution involved the emergence of a new regime based on constitutional rule and pluralism.

这么严密的控制其实就是为了维护皇权。可是我们知道，天底下没有一种制度是可以“永垂不朽”的，任何一种基于皇权安全的设置，都不可能让统治者完全放心，也不可能消除皇权面临的一切威胁。这也就是两千多年来中国一直是治极生乱、乱极生治，分久必合、合久必分的原因

现在我认为，历史的发展，无论过去、现在还是未来，都是不确定的。唯其不确定，人们的努力才有意义。过去的历史发展是有因果可寻的，发现历史中的因果链是历史学家的责任。但是人文的因果不同于物理的因果，就在于前者是概率性的，而不是必然性的。因此对历史的解释不可避免地具有相对性。也正因为此，我们的未来也具有不确定性。历史研究无法使人成为一个算命先生。但历史研究能够使我们增长智慧，鉴往知今，从历史中汲取经验教训，培养正确的价值观，知道什么是我们应该抵制的，什么是值得我们追求的，并且尽量找到用力点，以提高我们追求的成功率

their density in New South Wales was insufficient for the creation of an economy based on their exploitation. There was no Latin American option in Australia. The guards thus embarked on a path that would ultimately lead to institutions that were even more inclusive than those back in Britain. Convicts were given a set of tasks to do, and if they had extra time, they could work for themselves and sell what they produced.

当然周制是不可能恢复的。不过以周制来骂秦制是否就没有意义？恐怕未必。人类历史上打着“复古”旗号抨击现实，实际起了开辟新路的作用，这并不罕见