are increased with the diversity and differentiation of social institutions through which individuals can find expression. Institutional differentiation, in turn, depends on a high level of investment, not only in the ordinary economic sense but in the sense of investment of human time--of specialized effort and concern--such as makes possible, for instance, cumulative investigation in science. But high investment presupposes prosperity, in the sense not merely of a well-fed peasantry (though in the long run this may be crucial) but of a substantial surplus available for other classes, allowing them both funds and leisure to meet specialized needs. Hence while prosperity cannot assure cultural creativity, in the long run it is a presupposition for it."
-Marshal G. S. Hodgson, The Venture of Islam: Conscience and History in a World Civilization, Vol. 2: The Expansion of Islam in the Middle Periods, (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1974), pp. 4-5.
I thought this was a nice quote from Hodgson. Rather than expecting things to change or happen overnight, really good things require lots of time (and resources) to be able to fully stand on their feet, develop, and flourish. May God grant our institutions tawfīq!
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