조셉 니덤의 ‘중국과학사상’ 이해에 대한 小考

Abstract

This article is about the study on Joseph Needham’s understanding of Chinese science philosophy. The study on Joseph Needham’s understanding of Chinese science philosophy can be summarized as follows: first, the traditional science of China was more advanced than one of Europe. Needham admitted the fact that China contributed to the development of science and science philosophy and technology in ancient times and the middle ages. China was a pioneer in science invention in the traditional period. China had the development of technology and invention with scientific knowledge which western countries was not able to catch up with from the third century through the fifteenth century. Secondly, there was the advent of modern scientific technology in Europe since the sixteenth century, while there was no similar development in China. There was a difference between China and Europe in the social and economical aspects. The reason of the advent of modern scientific technology in Europe, not in China was not from the lack of knowledge in China and the defect of Chinese traditional philosophy, but from the character of Chinese civilization. Even though China was closer to modern technology than Europe in Christian’s philosophical take on the world, due to Chinese social and economical conditions, there was no development of modern technology in China. Needham focused on the chinese Kuanliao’s feudalism. The chinese Kuanliao’s feudalism extends human knowledge on nature and takes advantage of that knowledge to develop scientific modern technology to help human life. On the contrary, the chinese Kuanliao’s feudalism in China played havoc with the growth of modern capitalism or the development of modern science. Finally, Chinese science will integrate into universal science. Science has a universal development pattern because science is science no matter which culture it belongs to. Therefore, Chinese scientific experimentation and theory will establish as the world science by integrating into European science. Moreover, Chinese science philosophy focusing on humanitarian morals will play an important role to solve the problems caused by modern science.