Then he writes:
“The territorial gains via imperialism no doubt provided
some assistance but were not the main factor.
Principally, the necessary historical ingredients were scientific
method and the rule of law – market forces then did the rest.
The application of scientific method gave rise to
discoveries that made the industrial revolution possible.
The rule of law… …protection of private property rights
and later individual rights, enabled a climate whereby the fruits of labor were
relatively free from confiscation and destruction.
In this benign legal environment, market forces then gave
rise to the process of accumulation of physical capital and wealth.
The major role that Christianity played in this, by
constraining the use of scientific method, was to prevent it happening for
centuries.
It was the forces of the Enlightenment that finally
weakened the power of religion to interfere in this process.
The role Islam played in this process was to prevent it
developing in its own societies, despite its early lead, and then do delay and
hinder is introduction and importation from the West.”