time before 1500 was a situation where social unrest and economic problems were normal. The Western European society was an example of how the retarding lead works. The Moslems were a prominent society for a long period of time. When the Moslems went into a decline, the Western Europeans rose from their unsuccessful society and became prominent due to the fall of the Moslems. Unlike the societies of the Western Europeans and Moslems, the Chinese were not open to change. The Law of the Retarding Lead did not define the Chinese civilization, but it played a minor role in its history, The Chinese civilization reacted to one outside influence. After 600 AD, the Buddhist religion reached deeply into the population of China. The challenge of Buddhism led Confucian thinkers to expand their range of philosophical concerns. The incorporation of Buddhism led to new developments in literature and especially in art. Chinese sculptors borrowed some Indian styles of statuary as well. Besides Buddhism, the Chinese proceeded as if there was too little to learn from beyond their borders. During the period of 600 AD to 1300 AD, the Chinese civilization began to influence other parts of East Asia, Tibet, Vietnam, and Korea helped spread Chinese institutions. Chinese merchants took an active role in ocean-going trade. By 1300 AD, China was the most commercial society in the world. The Chinese society retained its adherence to values that emphasized the importance of scholarship and bureaucratic achievement. China did not alter its course and saw its economic growth decrease. By 1500, China would no longer lead the world in economic advance. China had developed and continued without benefiting greatly from outside ideas. China would eventually pay for its ignorance. They fell behind due to overconfidence and superiority in their own values. Overall, China showed a unique ability to combine distinct traditions with continued dynamism. Ho...
