To what extent is industrialization a uniquely Western phenomenon?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
a. An argument could be made that the Industrial Revolution began in Britain and spread to continental Europe and the United States.
b. Hence, industrialization is a uniquely Western phenomenon in the same way that Christianity and the Enlightenment are unique features of Western civilization.
c. An argument could be made that distinguishes between industrial capitalism (a particular model of industrialization based on private control of capital) and industrialization (a material process defined by mineral-based sources of energy, dependence on machines and railroads, and a predominantly manufacturing economy).
d. In this respect, it could be argued that industrial capitalism is a distinctive feature of Western civilization.
e. However, the process of industrialization can be divorced from the particular context within which it first unfolded; countries can industrialize without accepting capitalism.
f. The spread of industrialization, then, is not the spread of Westernization.
g. In this regard, industrialization cannot be compared with Christianity or the Enlightenment, which cannot be separated from their cultural context.