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Science and Civilisation in China

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Science and Civilisation in China
Science and Civilisation in China (Chinese translation)
AuthorJoseph Needham
Original titleScience and Civilisation in China

Science and Civilisation in China (1954–[2016]) is a series of books initiated and edited by British biochemist, historian and sinologist Joseph Needham, Ph.D (1900–1995). They deal with the history of science and technology in China. To date there have been seven volumes in twenty-seven books. The series was on the Modern Library Board's 100 Best Nonfiction books of the 20th century.[1] Needham's work was the first of its kind to praise Chinese scientific contributions and provide their history and connection to global knowledge in contrast to eurocentric historiography.[2]

In 1954, Needham—along with an international team of collaborators—initiated the project to study the science, technology, and civilisation of ancient China. This project produced a series of volumes published by Cambridge University Press. The project is still continuing under the guidance of the Publications Board of the Needham Research Institute (NRI), chaired by Christopher Cullen.[3]

Volume 3 of the encyclopedia was the first body of work to describe Chinese improvements to cartography, geology, seismology and mineralogy. It also includes descriptions of nautical technology, sailing charts, and wheel-maps.[4]

Needham's transliteration of Chinese characters uses the Wade-Giles system, though the aspirate apostrophe (e.g., ch'i) was rendered 'h' (viz. chhi; traditional Chinese: 氣; Mandarin Pinyin: qì). However, it was abandoned in favor of the pinyin system by the NRI board in April 2004, with Volume 5, Part 11 becoming the first to use the new system.[5]

Background

Joseph Needham’s interest in the history of Chinese science developed while he worked as an Embryologist at Cambridge University.[6] At the time, Needham had already published works relating to the history of science, including his 1934 book titled A History of Embryology, and was open to expanding his historical scientific knowledge.[7] Needham’s first encounter with Chinese culture occured in 1937 when three Chinese medical students arrived to work with him at the Cambridge Biochemical Laboratory.[8] Needham’s interest in Chinese civilization and scientific progress grew as a result and led him to learn Chinese from his students.[9] Two of those students,Wang Ling, and Lu Gwei-djen, would later become his collaborators on Science and Civilisation in China.[10]

In 1941, China’s eastern universities were forced to relocate to the west as a result of the Second Sino-Japanese War.[11] Chinese academics sought the help of the British government in an effort to preserve their intellectual life.[12] In 1942, Needham was selected and appointed as a diplomat by the British government and tasked with traveling to China and assessing the situation.[13]During his three years there, Needham discovered that the Chinese had developed techniques and mechanisms which were centuries older than their European counterparts.[14] Needham became concerned with the exclusion of China in the history of science and began to question why the Chinese ceased to develop new techniques after the 16th century.[15]

Armed with his new-found knowledge, Needham returned to Cambridge in 1948 and began working on a book with one of the Chinese medical students he met in Cambridge, Wang Ling, who was now a professor at a university.[16] Initially, he planned on releasing only one volume of his findings through the Cambridge University Press, but later changed his mind and proposed up to eleven volumes.[17] In 1954, Needham published the first volume of Science and Civilisation in China, which was well received and was followed by other volumes which focused on specific scientific fields and topics.[18] Needham, along with his collaborators, was personally involved in all of the volumes of Science and Civilization, up until Needham’s death in 1995.[19] After Needham’s death, Cambridge University established an institution named after Needham, The Needham Research Institute.[20] Scholars of the institution continue Needham’s work and have published 8 additional volumes of Science and Civilisation in China, since his death.[21]


Volumes

Vol. Title Contributors Date Notes
Vol. 1 Introductory Orientations Wang Ling (research assistant) 1954
Vol. 2 History of Scientific Thought Wang Ling (research assistant) 1956 OCLC
Vol. 3 Mathematics and the Sciences of the Heavens and Earth Wang Ling (research assistant) 1959 OCLC
Vol. 4,
Part 1 		Physics Wang Ling (research assistant), with cooperation of Kenneth Robinson 1962 OCLC
Vol. 4
Part 2 		Mechanical Engineering Wang Ling (collaborator) 1965  
Vol. 4,
Part 3 		Civil Engineering and Nautics Wang Ling and Lu Gwei-djen (collaborators) 1971  
Vol. 5,
Part 1 		Paper and Printing Tsien Tsuen-Hsuin 1985  
Vol. 5,
Part 2 		Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Magisteries of Gold and Immortality Lu Gwei-djen (collaborator) 1974  
Vol. 5,
Part 3 		Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Historical Survey, from Cinnabar Elixirs to Synthetic Insulin Ho Ping-Yu and Lu Gwei-djen (collaborators) 1976  
Vol. 5,
Part 4 		Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Apparatus and Theory Lu Gwei-djen (collaborator), with contributions by Nathan Sivin 1980  
Vol. 5,
Part 5 		Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Physiological Alchemy Lu Gwei-djen (collaborator) 1983  
Vol. 5,
Part 6 		Military Technology: Missiles and Sieges Robin D.S. Yates, Krzysztof Gawlikowski, Edward McEwen, Wang Ling (collaborators) 1994  
Vol. 5,
Part 7 		Military Technology: The Gunpowder Epic Ho Ping-Yu, Lu Gwei-djen, Wang Ling (collaborators) 1987  
Vol. 5,
Part 8 		"Military Technology: Shock Weapons and Cavalry" Lu Gwei-djen (collaborator) 2011[22]
Vol. 5,
Part 9 		Textile Technology: Spinning and Reeling Dieter Kuhn 1988  
Vol. 5,
Part 10 		"Work in progress"
Vol. 5,
Part 11 		Ferrous Metallurgy Donald B. Wagner 2008  
Vol. 5,
Part 12 		Ceramic Technology Rose Kerr, Nigel Wood, contributions by Ts'ai Mei-fen and Zhang Fukang 2004  
Vol. 5,
Part 13 		Mining Peter Golas 1999  
Vol. 6,
Part 1 		Botany Lu Gwei-djen (collaborator), with contributions by Huang Hsing-Tsung 1986  
Vol. 6,
Part 2 		Agriculture Francesca Bray 1984  
Vol. 6,
Part 3 		Agroindustries and Forestry Christian A. Daniels and Nicholas K. Menzies 1996  
Vol. 6,
Part 4 		Biology and Biological Technologies: Traditional Botany: an ethnobotanical approach Georges Métailie 2015  
Vol. 6,
Part 5 		Fermentations and Food Science Huang Hsing-Tsung 2000  
Vol. 6,
Part 6 		Medicine Lu Gwei-djen, Nathan Sivin (editor) 2000  
Vol. 7,
Part 1 		Language and Logic Christoph Harbsmeier 1998  
Vol. 7,
Part 2 		General Conclusions and Reflections Kenneth Girdwood Robinson (editor), Ray Huang (collaborator), introduction by Mark Elvin 2004 OCLC

Summaries

There have been two summaries or condensations of the vast amount of material found in Science and Civilisation. The first, a one-volume popular history book by Robert Temple entitled The Genius of China, was completed in a little over 12 months to be available in 1986 for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to China. This addressed only the contributions made by China and had a "warm welcome" from Joseph Needham in the introduction, though in the Beijing Review he criticized that it had "some mistakes ... and various statements that I would like to have seen expressed rather differently".[23] A second was made by Colin Ronan, a writer on the history of science, who produced a five volume condensation The Shorter Science and Civilisation: An abridgement of Joseph Needham's original text, between 1980 and his death in 1995.[24] These volumes cover:

  1. China and Chinese science
  2. Mathematics, astronomy, meteorology and the earth sciences
  3. Magnetism, nautical technology, navigation, voyages
  4. Mechanical engineering, machines, clockwork, windmills, aeronautics
  5. Civil engineering, roads, bridges, hydraulic engineering

Editions

  • Needham, Joseph (1954), Science and Civilisation in China: Introductory Orientations, vol. 1, Cambridge University Press

Reception

Needham's attempt to uncover the reasoning behind China's rise and fall as an elite scientific and technologically advanced nation has been expounded upon and debated for decades including Justin Yifu Lin's University of Chicago journal article "The Needham Puzzle".[25]

Groff Conklin of Galaxy Science Fiction in 1955 said that Vol. 1 "presents a richly patterned tapestry of the development of civilization in the Far East", and that "it is for everyone who is intrigued by the unknown, whether future (science fiction) or past (scientific history)".[26]

Editor of Volume 6, Nathan Sivin and Needham's research collaborator Lu Gwei-djen include updated research to support some of Needham's claims. However, Sivin is critical of Needham suggesting more research is required citing his assumptions of Taoisms' role in promoting scientific feats in China.[27]

Jonathan Spence wrote in a 1982 New York Times article "this work is the most ambitious undertaking in Chinese studies during this century".[28]

Dr. of History Roger Hart wrote "A Post-Needham Critique" in an East Asia journal accusing Needham of attributing scientific achievements to Chinese civilization in contrast to evidence by exaggerating claims.[29]

The New York Times obituary for Needham stated that those educated in China hail Dr. Needham's encyclopedia and compare him to Charles Darwin in terms of importance regarding scientific knowledge.[30]

According to Dr. Arun Bala, the author of The Dialogue of Civilizations in the Birth of Modern Science, Needham postulates that scientific knowledge may evolve to more closely resemble Chinese philosophical views of nature; signifying his belief in Chinese inherent wisdom.[31]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Modern Library, 1999. 100 Best Nonfiction."
  2. ^ Jacobsen, Stefan Gaarsmand (2013). "Chinese Influences or Images?: Fluctuating Histories of How Enlightenment Europe Read China". Journal of World History. 24 (3): 623–660. doi:10.1353/jwh.2013.0076. ISSN 1527-8050.
  3. ^ "Science and Civilisation in China". Needham Research Institute. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  4. ^ 1900-1995,, Needham, Joseph,. Science and civilisation in China. Wang, Ling, 1917-1994., Métailie, Georges., Huang, H. T. Cambridge [England]. ISBN 052105799X. OCLC 779676. {{cite book}}: |last= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ volume 5, part 11, page xxxii
  6. ^ Multhauf, Robert (October 1996). "Joseph Needham (1900-1995)". Technology and Culture. 37: 880.
  7. ^ Blue, Gregory (1997). "Joseph Needham-A Publication History" (PDF). Chinese Science (14): 92. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  8. ^ Winchester, Simon (2008). "The man who unveiled China". Nature. 454 (7203): 409.
  9. ^ Winchester, Simon (2008). "The man who unveiled China". Nature. 454 (7203): 409.
  10. ^ Brook, Timothy (1996). "The Sinology of Joseph Needham". Modern China. 22 (3): 341.
  11. ^ Winchester, Simon (2008). "The man who unveiled China". Nature. 454 (7203): 410.
  12. ^ Winchester, Simon (2008). "The man who unveiled China". Nature. 454 (7203): 410.
  13. ^ Multhauf, Robert (October 1996). "Joseph Needham (1900-1995)". Technology and Culture. 37: 880.
  14. ^ Winchester, Simon (2008). "The man who unveiled China". Nature. 454 (7203): 410.
  15. ^ Winchester, Simon (2008). "The man who unveiled China". Nature. 454 (7203): 410.
  16. ^ Multhauf, Robert (October 1996). "Joseph Needham (1900-1995)". Technology and Culture. 37: 883.
  17. ^ Winchester, Simon (2008). "The man who unveiled China". Nature. 454 (7203): 410.
  18. ^ Blue, Gregory (1997). "Joseph Needham-A Publication History" (PDF). Chinese Science (14): 93. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  19. ^ Winchester, Simon (2008). "The man who unveiled China". Nature. 454 (7203): 410.
  20. ^ Winchester, Simon (2008). "The man who unveiled China". Nature. 454 (7203): 411.
  21. ^ Winchester, Simon (2008). "The man who unveiled China". Nature. 454 (7203): 411.
  22. ^ Joseph., Needham, (2011). Science and Civilization in China. Cambridge Univ Pr. ISBN 9780521327282. OCLC 779665433.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ Ling Yuan (Mar 23, 1987). "East-West: Bridging the Scientific Chasm" (PDF). Beijing Review. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  24. ^ Colin Ronan (1980–95). The Shorter Science and Civilisation. Cambridge University Press.
  25. ^ Lin, Justin Yifu (1995-01). "The Needham Puzzle: Why the Industrial Revolution Did Not Originate in China". Economic Development and Cultural Change. 43 (2): 269–292. doi:10.1086/452150. ISSN 0013-0079. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ Conklin, Groff (March 1955). "Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf". Galaxy Science Fiction. pp. 95–99.
  27. ^ Sivin, Nathan (2013-04-22). "The Needham Question". Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  28. ^ Spence, Jonathan. "THE CHINA THE WEST KNEW NOTHING ABOUT". Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  29. ^ Hart, Roger (1999). "Beyond Science and Civilization: A Post-Needham Critique". East Asian Science, Technology, and Medicine. 16: 88–114. JSTOR 43150558.
  30. ^ Lyall, Sarah. "Joseph Needham, China Scholar From Britain, Dies at 94". Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  31. ^ Bala, Arun (2006). "The Dialogue of Civilizations in the Birth of Modern Science". doi:10.1057/9780230601215. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Sources

  • Robert Finlay, "China, the West, and World History in Joseph Needham's Science and Civilisation in China," Journal of World History 11 (Fall 2000): 265-303.
  • Justin. Lin, "The Needham Puzzle: Why the Industrial Revolution Did Not Originate in China," Economic development and cultural change 43.2 (1995): 269-292. JSTOR link
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