The Modern Transformation of European Civilization——The Debates on Transformation,Great Divergence and Little Divergence
European civilization was formed in the second half of the early Middle Ages,much later than the several original civilizations that had emerged in Eurasia since the third or fourth millennium BC.However,in the middle and late Middle Ages to early modern times(16th-18th century),European civilization inde-pendently realized the modern transformation,overtaking those ancient and brilliant Asian civilizations,and its evolution process and reasons have always attracted attention.The self-understanding of Western schol-ars on the transformation of European civilization from the Middle Ages to the modern era began in the 19th century,and new research results were continuously published in the late 20th century and the 21st century,which is of great value for the correct understanding of the modern transformation of European civilization,and is also a precious treasure for human beings to pursue progress.By combing the relevant re-search results of western scholars in the past two centuries,this paper aims to clarify the key course of Eu-ropean civilization towards modernity,analyze the main reasons why European civilization,especially Northwest Europe,came to the top,and provide historical reference for the latecomers around the world,including China,to choose the right goal to build their own modern civilization.
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