Philip T. Hoffman, Caltech’s Rea A. and Lela G. Axline Professor of Business Economics and History, Emeritus, has published a new book examining one of economic history’s central questions: why sustained economic growth began in northwestern Europe in the 1700s and not elsewhere. The book argues that the answer lies in a convergence of technological, political, and intellectual changes, rather than military conquest alone.
Key facts
- The book is titled Why Europe?: The Great Divergence and the West’s Rise to Global Predominance – New Approaches to Economic and Social History.
- Cambridge University Press published it on July 16, 2026.
- Hoffman says he uses economic theory and historical evidence to explain long-term changes in politics, society, and the economy.
- The book focuses on why sustained economic growth began in northwestern Europe, especially Britain, in the 1600s and 1700s.
What this means for students and researchers
For students and researchers in economics, history, and related fields, the book offers a new framework for studying the origins of modern growth. Hoffman centers the role of ideas, institutions, and political structures, including property rights and scientific advancement, rather than treating military power as the primary cause.
The book also points to comparison cases that can inform research and coursework, including Song Dynasty China, the United States, Japan, and Mexico. For readers studying development and inequality, Hoffman’s argument connects economic growth to institutions that support innovation, mobility, and lower barriers to business formation.
- Relevant audiences: students, researchers, and universities in economics and history
- Core themes: scientific societies, universities, governments, property rights, and intellectual property
- Comparative cases mentioned: northwestern Europe, Britain, Song Dynasty China, the United States, Japan, and Mexico
Why does Hoffman say growth started in northwestern Europe?
Hoffman argues that sustained growth emerged when several conditions came together in northwestern Europe, especially Britain: scientific and engineering interest, political changes that secured property rights, and a religious-political order that prevented any one ruler from becoming too powerful. He says these factors helped make technical change possible and durable.
He compares that environment with places where growth was weaker or slower, including Eastern Europe and Asia, where he says stronger rulers and weaker property rights could choke off innovation. He also notes that once growth began, the ideas could spread more easily to other places.
How does the book link conquest and growth?
Hoffman says military power was not the cause of sustained economic growth, even though it helped Europeans conquer or colonize more than 80 percent of the world. In his view, conquest was more a consequence of technical and economic change than a driver of it.
He uses the example of European advances in gunpowder technology in his earlier work, but says that military strength did not necessarily produce the broader growth that transformed Europe, particularly Britain.
What examples does Hoffman use to show how growth spread?
Hoffman points to John Holker, a British textile maker who moved to France in the mid-1700s after opposing the British government. Holker helped establish early French factories for cotton clothing, showing how skills and technology could move across borders in Europe’s politically fragmented landscape.
Hoffman says cotton garments became cheaper as new machines reduced production costs, which made them available to poorer consumers. He describes that process as the essence of technical change: lowering costs so goods become accessible beyond a luxury market.
What does the book say about growth today?
Hoffman argues that the modern growth model later took root in places like the United States and Japan, but not evenly across the world. He says slow growth often followed authoritarian rule, weak property rights, and barriers to business formation, using Mexico as an example.
He also says institutions such as scientific societies, universities, and governments that invest in new ideas remain essential today. The book’s broader message is that economic growth improves lives, but inequality can limit how widely its benefits are shared.
