Did the Counter-Reformation Crush Science?
If ‘inclusive institutions’ are so great for growth, why are they so often obstructed?
Well, as Acemoglu and Robinson argued back in 2006, ruling elites may block technological progress in order to strengthen their political control, only wavering if they face an external threat.
While their early formulations of ‘extractive institutions’ focused on property rights and contract enforcement, the Nobel powerhouse are increasingly curious about religion, prestige and ideological persuasion.
So, let me highlight a new paper on how elites have leveraged state institutions in order to crush free speech and scientific inquiry, so as to stifle dissent.
Under the Counter-Reformation, universities were seen as dangerous. Pope Paul III feared students would catalyse subversion! Spanish King Phillip II imposed the death penalty for possessing prohibited literature, a list of prohibited books and further banned visits to foreign universities. While some texts were smuggled, this had to be in secret.
How did this affect science?
