Science refers to the knowledge that it has discovered, accumulated and accepted universal truths or universal theorems, and has been systematically and formulated.
Although the four great inventions are glorious chapters in Chinese history, they have always made Chinese people proud. But in fact, this is not the case in the academic world. Although the four great inventions are indisputable historical facts, the four great inventions are not the achievements of the scientific world.
In fact, the most common definition of science is to accomplish something according to human thoughts. It seems that papermaking and compasses fit the definition given by science very well. However, some people in academia started from another angle and used critical thinking to point out that the four great inventions did not belong to the category of science. Strictly speaking, science did not exist in ancient China.
01
In Tsinghua professor Wu Guosheng ’s point of view, he elaborated on the origin and development of the term science. Tracing back to its origin, science is derived from the classical ideas of Greece , and it also integrates Critical thinking of Christian nominalism.
However, there is no definition of integration of science in Chinese culture, and nature has no basis for the birth of science, and without the four great inventions based on these two theories, nature cannot be regarded as science.
Wu Guosheng’s remarks naturally aroused the skepticism of the academic circles. Although China’s military and science and technology have been lagging behind Western countries in modern times, as one of the ancient civilizations, China’s economy and military And in terms of technology, it is by no means inferior to Western countries. Isn't Wu Guosheng's behavior like forgetting his ancestors?
02
Besides, some of today’s science and technology are based on the four great inventions.As a result, technologies that shock the world today have emerged. And these remarks by Wu Guosheng seem to completely erase the achievements made in ancient China. What is the difference between this and the dynasty's definition of science and technology as eccentricity?
However, it was pointed out that the science expounded by Professor Wu Guosheng is not a concept generally accepted by the Chinese. The concept that Wu Guosheng expounded actually started from the English meaning of science, and used the tests and developments carried out by Westerners in science to make a definition. This kind of definition is actually in a narrow sense.
The definition of science in the Western world was actually later than the period of the Four Great Inventions. That is to say, the early definition of science by the ancients was broad, while science in the eyes of Westerners was extracted from it. However, both Chinese science and Western science have the same effect on human beings. Both have increased the productivity of society to a certain extent, and they have indeed achieved people's goals, which are in line with the ideas of the parties at the time of production and creation. But this kind of science in the eastern sense is outside the definition of Professor Wu Guosheng.
03
In ancient China, there was no corresponding advancement in the learning system, but the elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools and even universities we use today were actually introduced by Western countries to a corresponding extent. Therefore, in a sense, the Chinese education system is completely different from the Western education system, and its purpose is naturally different.
Although the education system in ancient China has undergone various changes, it is in essence designed to strengthen the foundation of the feudal dynasty and serve the court with high-quality officials; but in the West, the purpose of education is to explore things The objective laws of existence can provide a reasonable explanation for the corresponding phenomenon.
On the other hand-the scholastic philosophy was also born from the West, but this kind of philosophy served religious theology, and it was obviously not applicable in China at that time. And in ancient China, the common people believed in the emperor,In a sense, the emperor is a god. Because the scholastic philosophy was established before science was realized. Although it has been continuously improved for thousands of years, the backbone has not changed, and the habit of thinking has continued to modern times. Naturally, it is somewhat repellent to the so-called science in China.
Therefore, it can be concluded that neither "university" nor scholastic philosophy exists in China. In this case, Chinese science does not conform to the regulations of the Western world. In this case, Professor Wu Guosheng's remarks It seems to be correct.
04
Starting from science in a narrow sense and science in a broad sense, there are different interpretations of China's four great inventions, and naturally there is no right or wrong choice. Some people also believe that the compass among the four great inventions can only be said to belong to technology. Only when the world understands its principles can it be called science. If this is the case, then we cannot say that the compass brings us into the electrified age, but the principle in the compass electromagnetics brings us into the electrified age.
However, many people have criticized this statement. If it were not for the invention of the compass, how could we figure out the underlying principle? Science itself is a gradual process. A technology from invention, creation and even multi-dimensional application requires the efforts of several generations, and the technological innovation in it is naturally a part of science and cannot be denied. Therefore, it is completely nonsense to exclude the four great inventions of ancient China from the scope of science.
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