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cover of episode  EP194 小冰期和明朝灭亡 | 價崩

EP194 小冰期和明朝灭亡 | 價崩

2025/1/14
logo of podcast 芝士份子 Cheesy Intellectuals

芝士份子 Cheesy Intellectuals

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佩文
喜达
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喜达:我关注明清两朝,是因为从中可以找到许多线索来解释当今社会的一些现象。明朝是最后一个汉人主导的朝代,研究它有助于理解现代社会的一些问题。本书让我了解到明朝长期处于寒冷时期,这严重影响了农业生产,进而影响了物价。政府干预市场价格可能会扰乱市场秩序,导致市场混乱。明朝长期处于通缩或通胀的循环中,这使得社会非常动荡不安。 佩文:本书并非单纯讲述明末物价崩塌,而是探讨明朝灭亡的代价。书中基于陈奇德的两篇回忆录,并结合其他史料,对明朝灭亡的原因进行分析。作者避免用现代的视角去批判古代,而是试图去理解当时的处境。作者利用这两篇回忆录以及其他史料,重建了明代的经济状况,并以此分析明朝的灭亡。在明朝经济崩溃的年代,猪肉价格甚至高于人肉价格,这反映了当时的社会困境。本书提供了一种新的解读明朝灭亡的方法,这将引发学术界的讨论。本书并非气候决定论,而是认为气候变化是明朝灭亡的一个不可忽视的重要因素。作者试图反驳将明朝灭亡归咎于统治者道德败坏的观点,认为气候变化也是一个重要的原因。明朝政府曾尝试通过设立粮仓来应对饥荒,但最终在最后一个小冰期时期失效。本书将明朝的崩溃置于全球气候变化的背景下进行分析,并比较了欧洲和中国在应对小冰期的差异。作者对明朝时期灾荒的描述非常细致,例如干旱不仅导致粮食歉收,还影响了粮食运输。气候变化是明朝灭亡的一个重要因素,不能忽视。明朝无力镇压农民起义,与当时的经济困境和气候变化有关。明朝军事力量的衰弱,也与经济困境和缺乏维护有关。本书是一本值得推荐的通俗历史读物,它不仅讲述了明朝灭亡的历史,也培养了读者的同理心和理解力。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why does the book 'Price of Collapse' focus on the relationship between the Little Ice Age and the fall of the Ming Dynasty?

The book argues that the Little Ice Age, a period of extreme cold and drought, severely impacted agriculture, leading to food shortages, economic instability, and ultimately the collapse of the Ming Dynasty. The author emphasizes that while other factors like governance and corruption played roles, the climatic challenges were a fundamental and often overlooked cause of the dynasty's fall.

How did the Ming Dynasty's agricultural system differ from Europe's during the Little Ice Age?

Europe's agricultural system, based on wheat, was more resilient to cold and dry conditions compared to China's rice-based system. Wheat requires less water, making it more suitable for the wet-cold climate of Europe, while rice, which needs significant water, struggled in China's dry-cold conditions during the Little Ice Age.

What role did government intervention play in the Ming Dynasty's economic instability?

The Ming Dynasty's government attempted to stabilize grain prices by intervening in the market, such as releasing grain from state reserves during shortages. However, these interventions often disrupted market dynamics, leading to price volatility and discouraging production, which worsened economic instability.

Why did the Ming Dynasty struggle to suppress peasant uprisings like the Li Zicheng rebellion?

The Ming Dynasty faced severe financial constraints due to agricultural failures caused by the Little Ice Age. This lack of resources made it difficult to sustain military campaigns against rebellions, allowing uprisings like Li Zicheng's to grow rapidly as desperate peasants joined due to famine and economic hardship.

How does the book 'Price of Collapse' challenge traditional narratives about the fall of the Ming Dynasty?

The book challenges the traditional 'moral failure' narrative, which blames the fall of the Ming Dynasty on corrupt officials and weak emperors. Instead, it highlights the critical role of environmental factors, particularly the Little Ice Age, in creating conditions that made the dynasty's collapse inevitable, regardless of governance.

What were the six major periods of crisis identified in the Ming Dynasty?

The six major crisis periods, or 'muddy periods,' identified in the Ming Dynasty are the Yongle, Jingtai, Jiajing, Wanli (divided into Wanli I and Wanli II), and Chongzhen periods. These were marked by severe climatic challenges, economic instability, and agricultural failures, culminating in the dynasty's collapse during the Chongzhen period.

How did the Little Ice Age affect global history beyond China?

The Little Ice Age was a global phenomenon that impacted agriculture, economies, and societies worldwide. While China struggled with rice production, Europe's wheat-based agriculture fared better due to its resilience to cold and dry conditions. This climatic event influenced the trajectories of many civilizations, highlighting the interconnectedness of global history.

Chapters
This chapter introduces the book "Price of Collapse" and discusses its title, which is a pun in the Chinese translation. The authors debate the appropriateness of the title and its relation to the book's content, which focuses on the economic consequences of climate change during the Ming Dynasty.
  • Discussion of the book's title, "Price of Collapse", and its translation.
  • The book's original English title is "Price of Collapse: The Little Ice Age and the Fall of Ming China."
  • The authors discuss the pun in the Chinese title, relating it to the collapse of the Ming Dynasty.

Shownotes Transcript

🧀本集圖書:卜正民《價崩》🧀本集成員:黄麒达、陳沛文

🧀内容纲要:

  • 你喜欢「价崩」这个谐音译法吗?
  • 算帐也趣味盎然:普通读者亦能欣赏的汉学史书
  • 自谦为几篇古文做注脚,实则解答明代灭亡的大哉问
  • 当猪比人贵:明朝饥荒时代的极端粮价和市场
  • 分析明朝的六次小冰期,挑战常见的「无德论」
  • 引入全球气候危机的视野,捕捉明代和欧洲的异同

🧀 更多互动

🧀 慰劳鼓勵

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