王韬关于中国科学技术历史与现状的若干思考

Wang Tao's Reflections on the Historical and Contemporary Situations of Chinese Science and Technology

两次鸦片战争不但显示了西方船坚炮利的军事优势,更招致包括科学技术在内的西方文化的大规模输入,然而囿于虚幻的文化优越感与流传日久的"西学中源"说,一般的中国知识分子较少考虑西方科学技术优胜的原因。王韬的个人经历及其特立独行的思维方式,使他比同时代的士人具有更为开阔的视野与较客观的认识。本文揭示了:王韬对西方科技文明的认识有一个逐步深化的过程,尽管在不同的情境中他的言论有时自相矛盾,但就总体而论,王韬是承认中国近代科技落后于西方的,他也是最早对此事实背后的原因进行思考与分析的中国学者之一。

Constrained by the illusive feeling of cultural superiority and the long-held notion of ＂Western Learning of Chinese Origin＂ , Chinese intellectuals in the late Qing period generally paid little attention to the reasons why the West was advanced in science and technology. However, Wang Tao＇s personal experience and his independent way of thinking enabled him to have a broader view and a more objective understanding than those of most of his contemporaries. This article reveals that there was a gradual deepening process in Wang Tao＇s perspective of Western science and technology, though contradictory statements could be found in his writings as the context varied. Nevertheless, Wang Tao acknowledged the fact that contemporary Chinese science and technology fell behind that of the West. Wang Tao is one of the earliest Chinese scholars who ever pondered on and analyzed the reasons behind it.