李约瑟《中国科学技术史》与中国自然科学史研究室的成立

Joseph Needham's Science and Civilisation in China and the Founding of the Institute for the History of Natural Science in China

李约瑟的《中国科学技术史》第一卷(1954年)出版之后,中国科学院做出了积极的回应。副院长竺可桢邀请并组织叶企孙、陈桢、谭其骧等学者对它进行了评介,科学院对李约瑟还进行了资助。中国学者对此卷既有高度的评价,也有具体的批评。中国科学院派遣代表团参加第八届国际科学史大会又与李约瑟直接相关。李约瑟的中国科学技术史研究对中国科学院成立中国自然科学史研究室起到了促进作用。科学史学科在新中国诞生后迅速走上建制化之路,主要是在20世纪50年代初中国共产党和人民政府特别提倡爱国主义的时代背景下,由于竺可桢等科学院领导的倡导和支持、李约瑟与苏联的积极影响等多种因素综合作用的结果。

The publication of the first volume of Joseph Needham＇s Science and Civilisation in China by the Cambridge University Press （1954） received an active response from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, whose Vice-President Chu Coching lost no time to invite and organize scholars including Yeh Chisun, Chen Zhen and Tan Qixiang to review this volume. The Academy also provided a financial aid of three years. Chinese scholars not only thought highly of the volume, but also made concrete criticisms on it. Joseph Needham was directly related with the event that the Chinese Academy of Sciences dispatched a delagation to attend the Eighth International Congress for the History of Science. His study on the history of Chinese science and technolody promoted the establishment of the Institute for the History of Natural Science in China by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The institutionialization of history of science soon after the birth of new China is due to several important factors having comprehensive effect. These factors mainly include the background of the patriotism specially advocated by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government at the beginning of 1950＇s, the support of Chu Coching and others leaders of the Academy for the research of history of Chinese science and technology, and the active influence exerted by Joseph Needham and the Soviet Union.