Abstract
Ancient Chinese science and technology has a history that began in prosperity before falling into decline. The Chinese are proud of the era when ancient China led the world in science and technology. However, they deeply deplore those days when Chinese science and technology began to attenuate and the country lagged behind other nations. Today we have cause to reflect upon why this happened. It is the binding duty for historians and especially historians of science and technology to summarize the experience and lessons of the history of Chinese science and technology in order to provide a frame of reference for the present-day development of Chinese science and technology. Additionally, every Chinese person should have the insight to fully understand and assess the achievements and failures of ancient Chinese science and technology. The Chinese agree that they should neither be arrogant nor belittling of themselves in this matter, but look back on history with a rational attitude, trying now to proceed towards national prosperity.
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Notes
- 1.
Joseph Needham (1900–1995) (his Chinese name was Li Yuese) began his career as a specialist in embryology and morphogenesis at Cambridge University but from the 1930s was increasingly drawn to the history of Chinese science and technology. In 1954, he published the first volume of Science and Civilisation in China. By the time of his death, this had expanded to 16 volumes and sub-volumes, with the work eventually expected to span 27 installments. Research in this field continues at the Needham Institute at Cambridge University.
- 2.
Joseph Needham, Science and Civilisation in China, Vol. 1: New Orientations (Cambridge University Press, 1954), pp. 3–4.
- 3.
Karl Marx, The Machinery, Natural Force and the Application of Science from The Economic Manuscripts, 1861–1863.
- 4.
From Aphorisms Concerning the Interpretation of Nature and the Nature of Man in Francis Bacon, Novum Organum, Book One.
- 5.
Gan De (fl. fourth century BC) of the State of Qi and Shi Shen (fl. fourth century BC) are the earliest known named individuals to have put together star catalogs. They predated the Greek Hipparchus by around two centuries, yet anonymous Babylonian star catalogs have been discovered which appear to be older than those of Gan De and Shi Shen.
- 6.
Gan De wrote Astronomy and Divination and Shi Shen wrote Astronomy, collectively known as Book of Astronomy by Gan and Shi. This was kept in Kaiyuan Book of Divination written by an Indian astronomer known as Qu Tan Xi Da in Chinese pinyin in the Tang Dynasty and organized by later generations.
- 7.
In terms of laws of calendar, please refer to The Volume of Astronomy, the eighth volume written by Shi Yunli, in Lu Yongxiang ed., The Outline of Chinese Science History (Liaoning Educational Press, 1996), p. 230.
- 8.
A straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies in a gravitational system occurs in a solar or lunar eclipse among other astronomical events.
- 9.
The study of the courses of the moon through the seasons and their intersections.
- 10.
The Writings of Master Guan (Guanzi) is a collection of philosophical writings to which the name of Guan Zhong (c. 720–645 BC), the Prime Minister to Duke Huan of Qi, was attached. It contains elements of Legalism, Confucianism, and Taoism, and the present text was edited by Liu Xiang (77–6 BC) during the Han Dynasty.
- 11.
Xu’s journeys are recorded in his posthumously released travel diary (Xu Xiake Youji), which runs to over 400,000 characters and features sections on regions such as Yunnan and Guizhou. By the time of his death, he had set foot in each of the then 16 provinces of China.
- 12.
The text consists of a series of question and answer sessions between the legendary Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) and six of his ministers. In spite of this suggestion of great antiquity, the work is first mentioned in the History of the Han Dynasty (Hanshu) and may consist of materials set down no earlier than the second century BC.
- 13.
Science and Civilisation in China, Vol. 1, p. 157.
- 14.
The abovementioned explanations on the Mo Jing can be found in Li Shenglong, New Interpretations of Classics by Mo Zi (Sanmin Book Bureau, Taipei, 1996).
- 15.
Chen Zunwei, Astronomical History of China, Vol. 3 (Shanghai People’s Press, 1984), p. 722.
- 16.
Science and Civilisation in China, Vol. 3: Mathematics and the Sciences of the Heavens and the Earth (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1959), p. 524.
- 17.
Zeng Xiongsheng, “Hermit and Traditional Agriculture of China,” Research on History of Nature and Science, 1996 (1), pp. 17–29.
- 18.
Du Shiran, Drafts on Science and Technology History of China (Science Press, 1983), pp. 268–169.
- 19.
Joseph Needham, “Thirty Six Water Method: Records of Early Alchemy concerning Water in Ancient China,” Works of Joseph Needham (Liaoning Science and Technology Press, 1986), p. 739.
- 20.
Zhu Yaping, Taoist Culture and Science (Science and Technology University of China Press, 1995), p. 184.
- 21.
Du Shiran ed. Drafts on Science and Technology History of China, Vol. 1, p.349.
- 22.
A group of chemical compounds consisting of alkanes with linked halogens.
- 23.
Aluminosilicate clay mineral.
- 24.
Science and Civilisation in China, Vol. 2 History of Scientific Thoughts in China, 1990, p. 164.
- 25.
The Germany Peasants’ War, The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 7, p. 400.
- 26.
The Machinery, Natural Force and the Application of Science, pp. 206–208.
- 27.
For instance, the concept of “principle” (li) mentioned by ancient Chinese is the concept of concrete laws and specific principles. Mo Zi, referred to above, also discussed li in terms of the study of light, force, and geometry. We’ve also mentioned the scientific thoughts by Han Fei Zi as he stated that Tao is how everything is in its own form while li is how everything is run. In other words, Tao is the fundamental principle, while li is the specific way. Everything has its li, and based on research on lis, Tao can be summarized. This well explains the relationship between Tao and li.
- 28.
Li Shenglong, Method of Astronomy (Hainan Publishing House, 1993), p. 16.
- 29.
Du Shiran ed. Drafts on Science and Technology History of China, Vol. 2, p. 275.
References
Du Shiran, & Fan Chuyu. (1983). Drafts on science and technology history of China. Beijing: Science Press.
Lu Yongxiang. (Ed.). (1996). The outline of Chinese science history (including eight volumes mathematics, physics and chemistry, astronomy, geography, biology, agriculture, medicine and technology, each written by different writer). Shenyang: Liaoning Educational Press.
Needham, J. (1954). Science and civilisation in China, Vol. 1: New orientations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Zhu Yaping. (1995). Taoist culture and science. Hefei: Science and Technology University of China Press.
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Zhang, Q. (2015). Reflection on Ancient Chinese Science and Technology. In: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture. China Academic Library. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46482-3_13
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