徐光启的科学思想及其影响

Xu Guangqi's Scientific Thought and Its Influences

徐光启的译著《几何原本》不仅影响着中国数学的发展,也为中国传统的思维方式注入了新鲜元素。他把西方的科学方法总结为“由数达理”,认为科学成果应当理、义、法、数四者兼备,其中理和义居于更重要的地位。科学的发展在于世代传承,这就需要一个学术群体;科学理论是可错的,因而也是可修正的。对于西方文化, 徐光启注意到了它的工具价值,但是两种价值在徐光启那里并非结合得非常完美。徐光启作为中国科学译著的先师、中国近代科学的先驱、中国哲学史上儒学传统的革命者, 都是当之无愧的。

The translated version of Geometrical Theory by Xu Guangqi, not only influenced the development of Chinese mathematics, but also infused the fresh elements to Chinese traditional ways of thinking. He summarized the western scientific method as “from quantity to rule”. He believed that the scientific result should be combined with axiom, rule, method and quantity, of which axiom and rule were the most important. The meaning of the development of science is inherited from generation to generation, hence, an academic group would be needed; scientific theory might be incomplete and also could be modified. As to the western culture, Xu Guangqi noticed its implemental value, but value and implementation were not be combined perfectly by Xu Guangqi. He was worthy of his reputation as the leader of Chinese scientific translated version and Chinese modem science, the revolutionary of Confucianism tradition in the Chinese philosophy history.