‘중국과학사(中國科學社)’ 과학운동의 전개와 그 함의

Abstract

This paper examines how the China Science Society contributed to the formation of a universal knowledge system essential for nation-building during China’s reception of Western modern science. The Society’s activities were defined as a “scientific movement” due to its sustained efforts to disseminate and institutionalize science across society. Based on a close analysis of its activities, this study drew several conclusions. First, the publication of Kexue (《科學》) helped establish the Society’s identity as an academic organization and enabled it to promote its scientific worldview over time. The science it advocated was enlightenment-oriented, aiming to subvert traditional orders and construct a new scientific framework. A scientific community gradually emerged through this institutional structure and the process of systematizing science. The Society’s annual conferences, which included not only scientists but also various social groups, expanded the institutionalization of science. These activities, supported by financial resources, significantly influenced educational reform and institutional development. From the revolutionary period to the founding of the Nanjing Nationalist Government, the Society’s scientific enlightenment and salvation campaigns provided ideological foundations for nation-building and contributed to the formation of China’s modern scientific system. Following the 1923 Science and Metaphysics Debate (科玄論戰), scientific professionalism and academic autonomy were increasingly emphasized, leading to the establishment of research institutions such as Academia Sinica, where many Society members played key roles. Science was expected to maintain autonomy from politics and morality, a condition for its recognition as a modern model of knowledge. The China Science Society not only embodied scientific ideals but also put into practice ideas about research organization and national development. Its approach to organizing science served as a prototype for state institutions. Although its influence declined over time, its core functions were carried on through the rise of Academia Sinica. This transition can be understood as the historical outcome of the scientific movement led by the Society and its community.