Greg derives his "nothing happened" thesis from a very narrow range of data: food intake (even we can only eat so much), height (we're not vastly taller either), lifespan (he admits that one's a bit wobbly), apparent real wages (debatable), agriculture's GDP share (ditto). But if we look at what's actually produced & consumed and how it’s exchanged, there's a big difference between AD1 or 1300 and 1750, as Greg's wills show. Stuff did happen in pre-industrial history, apart from just breeding.
Greg derives his "nothing happened" thesis from a very narrow range of data: food intake (even we can only eat so much), height (we're not vastly taller either), lifespan (he admits that one's a bit wobbly), apparent real wages (debatable), agriculture's GDP share (ditto). But if we look at what's actually produced & consumed and how it’s exchanged, there's a big difference between AD1 or 1300 and 1750, as Greg's wills show. Stuff did happen in pre-industrial history, apart from just breeding.
davepx 1 year ago