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Did Science Cause the Industrial Revolution?

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  • O Grada, Cormac

    (University College Dublin)

Abstract

The role of science and technology in the First Industrial Revolution is still contested. Some scholars, focusing on the textiles sector, argue that skilled and talented artisans with no scientific training were mainly responsible for the key inventions; others, with steam power in mind, hold that the links between science and the crucial inventions of the period were fundamental. Margaret Jacob has been a leading contributor to the debate for nearly four decades. The publication of her The First Knowledge Economy offers an opportunity to review the issues. ( JEL J24, L26, N13, N73, O31, O33)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • O Grada, Cormac, 2014. "Did Science Cause the Industrial Revolution?," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 205, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cge:wacage:205
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Alberto Mingardi, 2018. "Thomas Hodgskin, Rational Optimist," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 38-57, February.
    3. B. Zorina Khan, 2024. "‘A new way by her invented’: Women inventors and technological innovation in Britain, 1800–1930," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 77(3), pages 928-952, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    economic history; science; human capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N73 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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