Niall Ferguson The 6 killer apps of prosperity http://www.ted.com/talks/niall_ferguson_the_6_killer_apps_of_prosperity/transcript?language=en
Now you can’t just blame this on imperialism — though many people have tried to do so — for two reasons. One, empire was the least original thing that the West did after 1500. Everybody did empire. They beat preexisting Oriental empires like the Mughals and the Ottomans. So it really doesn’t look like empire is a great explanation for the Great Divergence.
I want to explain to you that there were six killer apps that set the West apart from the rest. There are six which I think explain the Great Divergence.
One, competition.
Two, the scientific revolution.
Three, property rights.
Four, modern medicine.
Five, the consumer society.
And six, the work ethic.
You forgot the most important difference - Christianity which honors the value of lives, the immortality of the human soul, the right to promote faith, hope, and charity.