The Long Twentieth Century: From the Triumph of Technology to the Crisis of Recognition

This article provides an in-depth analysis of Bradford DeLong's work, focusing on the pivotal year of 1870, which ended the era of the Malthusian trap. The author describes the mechanism of the "triple innovation"—the combination of globalization, the modern corporation, and research laboratories—that enabled an unprecedented accumulation of productive capacity. The article, however, extends beyond economics and into the realm of social philosophy, invoking the debates between Hayek, Polanyi, and Keynes. A key conclusion is the paradox of modernity: despite achieving material abundance, humanity still struggles with a crisis of recognition and a lack of equitable rules of coexistence. This is a story of how technology has outpaced our ability to build a harmonious market society.