出版社：American Sociological Association Section on Political Economy of the World System
摘要：T. Chandler's city data are used to inquire whether, and when, East Asia was a world system in itself, or part of a larger Old World world-system; and whether, and when, the east end of the Old World oikumene was more "advanced" than the west end. On the avail-able data, (1) A.G. Frank's thesis of a single Old World world-system is less well supported than the thesis of a long coexistence of a plural-ity of world systems, including a separate Far Eastern system; (2) Frank's thesis of the general economic lead of "China" over " Europe" is sup-ported; (3) there is e vidence of an interesting medieval outrunning of the "west end" by the "east end" economy, which begs further inves-tigation
