HIST1601 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Natural Philosophy, The Shape Shifters, Trading Post
HIST1601 Week 7 Lecture – Western Learning in China and Japan
Dr Mei-Fen Kuo
• No Scientific revolution in China
• China and West compared
• Revisiting the Scientific Revo
• Views of scholars (Sivin and Landers)
• Jesuit Missionary –
• Dutch-Japan Trade and studies
• Needham and Craig (scholars)
• Western science and medicine
• Japanese enlightenment
Previous Lectures:
• Technological achievements
• Belated development of printing
• Spread of Christianity
• Scientific revolution
Previous:
• Up to 1750: preindustrial Europe
• Social and political theory
No Scientific Revo in China:
• Unfair?
• Why were they more efficient in applying human natural knowledge to practical human
needs?
Compared:
• Europe ahead in producing basic machines
• Chian did not possess optical lens makers
• Europe sought tech from China
• State control stifled further advances
• 1400: Europe tech backwards
• Up to 1850 – not a great difference bewtween China and European medical
Bacon:
• Qing dynasty
• Did not develop scientific methodology
• More care about mind/ ethic/ humanity
• Dot eourage ritial thikig
• Did not try and change themselves
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• Protestant-based scientific revo
Context:
• Western
• More cared about truth
• China: more about ethic and morality
Scientific Revo:
• Redefinition of natural philosophy
• Makids orietatio toard past ad future
• Church less attractive
• Rise of professional scientists
Sivin:
• China had own scientific revo – 17th century
• 1630: western scientific ways introduced
• New classicism
• New values
• Always about evidence
• Traditional values
• Few had learning and ambition for alternative ideas
• Had strong impact on Japan – away from Chinese influence
Landers:
• Absence of intellectual freedom
• Superiority
• Stopped progressing
• Lack of knowledge and institutions
Jusuits:
• Ruling/ educated people
• 437 works translated
• 4000 works
• Corresponding to natural studies
• Collapse of Ming/ rise of Qing
• Created opportunities
• Astronomy-astrology
• New Manchu ruling elite
• Coe i late 0s/ early 0s
• shape shifters – wear cloths, spoke, looked like monks
• Dressed up to integrate, Ricci
• Christian beliefs and Asian ways
• Round out Confucianism with Christian doctrines
• Achilles heel: deep involvement in Chinese divination, siting and selection of auspicious days
• Most enduring role in china
• Experts with maps, clocks, ect
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Hist1601 week 7 lecture western learning in china and japan. Dr mei-fen kuo: no scientific revolution in china, china and west compared, revisiting the scientific revo, views of scholars (sivin and landers) Jesuit missionary : dutch-japan trade and studies, needham and craig (scholars, western science and medicine. Previous lectures: technological achievements, belated development of printing, spread of christianity, scientific revolution. Previous: up to 1750: preindustrial europe, social and political theory. Bacon: qing dynasty, did not develop scientific methodology, more care about mind/ ethic/ humanity, do(cid:374)(cid:859)t e(cid:374)(cid:272)ourage (cid:272)riti(cid:272)al thi(cid:374)ki(cid:374)g, did not try and change themselves, protestant-based scientific revo. Context: western, more cared about truth, china: more about ethic and morality. Scientific revo: redefinition of natural philosophy, ma(cid:374)ki(cid:374)d(cid:859)s orie(cid:374)tatio(cid:374) to(cid:449)ard past a(cid:374)d future, church less attractive, rise of professional scientists. Landers: absence of intellectual freedom, superiority, stopped progressing. Ricci: eclipse predictions, annual calendar, embedded chines traditions, astrological enterprise centred of making predictions on lucky/ unlucky days.
