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The Gifts of Athena

Eric McCann CS408.02 Final Project. The Gifts of Athena. Overview: Author. Written by Joel Mokyr in 2002 Economics PhD from Yale University Professor at Northeastern U Born in Netherlands, raised in Israel, educated in United States. Economy. Growth = Major political topic

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The Gifts of Athena

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  1. Eric McCann CS408.02 Final Project The Gifts of Athena

  2. Overview: Author • Written by Joel Mokyr in 2002 • Economics PhD from Yale University • Professor at Northeastern U • Born in Netherlands, raised in Israel, educated in United States

  3. Economy • Growth = Major political topic • Correlation: technological innovation and economic growth • Mokyr: reasoning behind the correlation or driving force • Collective Knowledge

  4. Knowledge: 2 Types • Propositional Knowledge • The “what” • Observes natural phenomena • Establishes regularities • Prescriptive Knowledge • The “How” • “of techniques” • Instructional

  5. Knowledge Cont’d Collective bank: • Includes each individual’s knowledge, as well publicly stored information • Accessibility – major factor • Prescriptive must be built from propositional, but not opposite

  6. Growth • Knowledge growth => economic growth • Necessary propositional base (farming example) • Prescriptive growth with weak prop. base =/= sustained economic growth • Necessary accessibility – major factor

  7. Accessibility • No access = no knowledge • Third world countries • Pathways of knowledge access have evolved • Word of mouth… > Writing… > Internet

  8. Propositional Base • The science behind the application • Prop. Base growth of 1700s and 1800s led to economic surge of 1850s. • Not only facilitates discovery of new techniques, but also allows new ideas to take hold socially • Example: Sterilization in medicine in 1800s

  9. Forces of Discovery • By accident • Curiosity • Economic needs • Feedback from current techniques

  10. Internet • Provides propositional base of epic proportions • Provides easy and widespread method of accessibility • Constantly growing collective knowledge • Some negatives • False information • Limiting access for political power (ex.China) • Reduces growth capabilities

  11. Growth of Knowledge • The Growth Loop: Exponential Effect • One discovery may have multiple effects • Each effect provides feedback • Feedback produces economic need End Result: More Discovery

  12. Knowledge = Power • Knowledge is power! • Limited access to knowledge impedes natural growth • 3rd world countries struggle without access • 1st world countries slow with weak epistemic base

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