Revisiting the Great Divergence of Printing through the Causal Loop Analysis

This paper examined the complex interaction between demand and technology in the development of Western printing technology from a systemic perspective through the causal loop analysis. The invention and innovation of Western printing technology were neither the result of an individual's inspiration nor simply a combination of various existing technological elements or demand conditions. The technology and demand factors surrounding printing technology interacted through printing, and the innovation and dissemination of metal type printing were the results of this interaction. In particular, the role of woodblock printing as a bridging technology has been revealed. Based on the analysis of the causal loop structure, we reexamined the Great Divergence in printing technology between the East and the West. From a systemic perspective, the more centralized governments in the East, compared to the West, viewed publishing as a means of governance and sought to monopolize it. This tendency acted as an obstacle to the interaction between demand and technology. In addition, the more active use of metal type in the West further expanded the differences between East and West in the long run.