Particularly appreciate your documenting the fact that many 19thC Lagosians understood the significance of the tech challenge and made efforts to address it, then as now. But the society as a whole failed. Politics!
Another amazing piece. How the Japanese took to modernizing around the Meiji era is super fascinating to me because the two and a half centuries of the Edo period don’t necessarily seem like they set the right background in place. Perhaps it was pent up frustration from the samurai class.
Indeed, it does appear that our culture experiences technology mostly as a consumer.
One thing that I am curious about (I may have discussed this with you at some point) is why the technical know-how (poured metal casting) that produced something like the Benin bronzes did not transition (at least not at scale) into tool making, for instance. That know-how/technology survives to date, and is used in making fairly sophisticated machinery elsewhere, but has suffered a terrible strain of arrested development in our context.
"Curiosity without a learning system becomes consumption". The piece got me thinking about the less successful example of Ali Pasha in Egypt some years before these 2 exemples. Fascinating!
I stole 'self-strengthenng' from the term used to describe the failed Qing dynasty efforts to modernize China at the end of 19thC. Again feudal politics was their obstacle
Particularly appreciate your documenting the fact that many 19thC Lagosians understood the significance of the tech challenge and made efforts to address it, then as now. But the society as a whole failed. Politics!
Mr Feyi, I always look forward to your writings. I must say today's piece didn't disappoint.
Thank you for reading!
Another amazing piece. How the Japanese took to modernizing around the Meiji era is super fascinating to me because the two and a half centuries of the Edo period don’t necessarily seem like they set the right background in place. Perhaps it was pent up frustration from the samurai class.
I am glad to have been baited tonight. this was really good.
A fine article. This shows stark cultural differences between Japan and Nigeria.
I think we don't have that knack in us yet because there are more societal issues to be resolved before innovation can take precedence.
This is deeply insightful. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for this. I must say, as it was then and now, same policy, different outcomes.
Thanks for reading!
Thank you for this thought-provoking piece.
Indeed, it does appear that our culture experiences technology mostly as a consumer.
One thing that I am curious about (I may have discussed this with you at some point) is why the technical know-how (poured metal casting) that produced something like the Benin bronzes did not transition (at least not at scale) into tool making, for instance. That know-how/technology survives to date, and is used in making fairly sophisticated machinery elsewhere, but has suffered a terrible strain of arrested development in our context.
Any thoughts on why this is the case?
"Curiosity without a learning system becomes consumption". The piece got me thinking about the less successful example of Ali Pasha in Egypt some years before these 2 exemples. Fascinating!
Yes, key comparative case. The British killed that effort!
I stole 'self-strengthenng' from the term used to describe the failed Qing dynasty efforts to modernize China at the end of 19thC. Again feudal politics was their obstacle
Invaluable! The lessons are clear.