近代科学文化冲击下历史性选择的巨大反差——徐光启与曾国藩比较新论

The Tremendous Contrast of Historic Choice under the Impact of Modern Science Culture——New Conclusion of Comparison between XU Guang-qi and ZENG Guo-fan

徐光启和曾国藩都生逢近代科学文化大规模传入中国的时代,面对西学东渐的冲击,两者在科学造诣和文化自觉方面恰成鲜明的对比.徐光启系统接受西方近代科学技术,并通过自身努力在科学的诸多领域做出了重要贡献.然而,徐光启对西方文化顶礼膜拜的同时,在文化价值观上几乎完全皈依于西方,成为文化的迷失者.与此相反,曾国藩个人在科学领域几无建树,但他既认识到西方先进科学技术的重大价值,主张学习西方科学技术,同时又强调培植中国固有文化传统,形成了以中国传统文化为本位而吸收西方先进文化的正确立场.比较徐光启和曾国藩在中西文化冲突中的历史性选择,可以得到诸多有益的启示.

XU Guang-qi and ZENG Guo-fan both lived in the era of Science culture introduced to China in the large-scale. Facing the impact of western learning, their scientific creation and cultural consciousness were quite different. XU Guang-qi accepted the western science and technology, and made important contri- bution to the field of science through his own efforts. However, XU Guang-qi accepted western culture com- pletely, in the same time, his cultural values converted to western culture completely, and became a cultural confusion. In contrast, ZENG Guo-fan has no contribution in the field of science, but he was aware of the value of western science and technology, he advocated studying western science and technology, in the same time, emphasized the importance of the cultivation of Chinese traditional culture, formed a correct position which Chinese traditional culture as standard and absorbing advanced western culture. We can get a lot of useful enlightenment by comparing the historic choice of XU Guang-qi and ZENG Guo-fan in the conflict be- tween Chinese and Western Culture.