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14 - Science, Knowledge and Technology, 1500–1800

from Part II - Globalization and Enlightenment, 1500–1800

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2024

Pedro Lains
Affiliation:
Universidade de Lisboa
Leonor Freire Costa
Affiliation:
Universidade de Lisboa
Regina Grafe
Affiliation:
European University Institute, Florence
Alfonso Herranz-Loncán
Affiliation:
Universitat de Barcelona
David Igual-Luis
Affiliation:
Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Vicente Pinilla
Affiliation:
Universidad de Zaragoza
Hermínia Vasconcelos Vilar
Affiliation:
Universidade de Évora, Portugal
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Summary

This chapter analyses the reasons behind changes in the intensity with which inventions and other changes in production took place in early modern Iberian polities. Rather than quantifying the impact of science on the economy and determine the direction of causality – two processes that were interconnected – this chapter studies the developments in science, knowledge and technology in relation to what is known about the economic performance of the Iberian economy. It analyses first the improvements in the agrarian sector, before showing some technological advances in the non-agrarian part of the economy. The chapter describes especially the innovations in specific areas of manufacturing like shipbuilding, textiles (woollens, silk and cotton) and mining. The last section discusses the role played by the institutional framework, and it explains how the Iberian monarchies promoted technology and knowledge in different ways.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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