对“李约瑟难题”质疑的再反思  

Further Reflection on the Query of Needham' s Puzzle

作　　者：董英哲[1] 康凯[1] 石建孝[1] 吴国源[2] 

机构地区：[1]西北大学,陕西西安710069 [2]陕西理工大学 文化传播系,陕西汉中723000

出　　处：《自然科学史研究》2003年第3期261-277,共17页Studies in The History of Natural Sciences

摘　　要：“李约瑟难题”有其合理性。质疑难题的“无科学说”、“伪问题说”和“有毛病说”涉及到历史观、科学观、科学史观和方法论等深层次的问题,如“无科学说”只承认中国古代有技术而不承认有科学,否认中国古代科学的光辉成就,是科学史上的一种西方中心论;“伪问题说”反对科学的连贯性和普遍性,是一种科学特殊论和唯近现代科学论,带有“辉格”的色彩;“有毛病说”反对假设的和逆史实的编史学,是一种狭隘的历史观,不利于历史学的现代化。以上诸说在方法论上有一个共同点,都陷入了形而上学的误区,反对李约瑟创立的中西科学史研究的比较法。“李约瑟难题”是李约瑟中西科学史研究比较法的杰作,对中西科学发展史作了共时性的横向比较和历时性的纵向比较,从而抓住了其中的主要矛盾,具有高度的辩证性,对于揭示中西科学发展的历史规律是很有益的。因此,应以辩证的观点和方法来研究中西科学发展史和理解“李约瑟难题”。This paper deems that the Needham' s Puzzle is rational, and reflects again on the doctrines which query if the puzzle is scientific, or perfect, or a real problem. These doctrines involve deep-level issues , such as the notions about history, science, history of science, and methodology. Doctrine 1 believes that the Western world was a center in the development of science, and that in ancient China there appeared only technology with no science. It refuses to acknowledge the brilliant achievements gained by the ancient Chinese. Doctirne 2 negates the coherence and generality of science , holding that science is something particular and only modern science can be looked upon as science or scientific. Doctrine 3 claims that the Needham ' s Puzzle is too narrow in historical perspective, and hinders the modernization of the study of history. These three doctrines have something in common, that is, all of them have degenerated into metaphysics. The Needham' s Puzzle is a masterpiece of Joseph Needham in his study of the history of the development of science in both China and the Western world. It also shows the great advantage of the methodology used in his study, which is to compare the development of science of both China and the Western world from a contemporary perspective as well as a historical perspective. His study grasps the key point and has the nature of dialectics, and is quite beneficial to the discovery of the laws of the development of science in both China and the Western world.

关 键 词：李约瑟难题 质疑 再反思 

分 类 号：N02[自然科学总论—科学技术哲学]