Explaining the economic trajectories of civilizations: The systemic approach

A civilization constitutes a durable social system of complementary traits. Some of the complementarities of any given civilization are between elements of “material” life and ones commonly treated as integral to “culture.” Identifying the mechanisms responsible for a civilization’s observed trajectory involves, therefore, causal relationships that cross the often-postulated “cultural–material” divide. Complementarities make it difficult to transplant institutionsacross civilizationsonapiecemealbasis. They imply that reformsdesigned to jump-start an economy will fail unless they are comprehensive. Civilizational analysis can benefit, therefore, from attention to institutional complementarities, including ones involving both cultural and material variables. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Civilizations and their economic trajectories At least since Huntington (1993) inflamed political sensitivities through an article titled “The Clash of Civilizations?”, the concept of civilization has been associated with permanent conflict and incompatible lifestyles.1 This negative connotation has made intellectuals reluctant to use the word for fear of being misunderstood. This is unfortunate because whatever its political overtones, the concept of civilization captures a cluster of attributes that its alternatives fail to convey. In any case, numerous terms that conjure up negative images enjoy wide use in intellectual discourses. The concepts of political conflict, economic warfare, and cultural inertia offer examples. In spite of the implied associations, intellectuals refer routinely to politics, economics, and culture. One analytical advantage of the term civilization is that it conveys commonalities that transcend political boundaries and even geography. Although a civilization usually has a home region, its reach may extend globally. With its huge Pakistani population, the English town of Bradford is part of contemporary Islamic civilization. Likewise, the Chinatowns of American cities are integral to Chinese civilization. ∗ Tel.: +1 919 66