李约瑟难题与明清社会——读《文明的滴定》

Understanding Ming Qing China through The Needham Question: Reflections on The Grand Titration: Science and Society in East and West

李约瑟所作《文明的滴定》提供了迄今对于"李约瑟难题"最具有系统性的解答,对于透视明清时代中国科技状态与发展潜质乃至理解整个中华文明历史研究,有重要参考意义。本文首先指出,理解李约瑟该书,首先需要把握他的方法论倾向,包括谨慎的历史进步论、反对欧洲中心主义、不承认五种社会形态依次递进说、结构论与文明史观。进而,文章将李约瑟对"李约瑟难题"的解答归纳为3项论说,即"亚细亚官僚制度"是中国难以在明清之际实现向现代科技飞跃的体制原因、现代科学与古代中世纪科学具有本质区别、中西自然法观念差异及有机论与机械论世界观差异构成中西科学道路差异的重要原因,并结合作者本人对明清历史的研究进行解读与评论。结论认为,李约瑟倾一生之力就"李约瑟难题"所做的回答是一份宝贵知识财富,其中包含一些推测、模糊,甚至可质疑成分,但确乎提供了关于明清中国没有兴起现代科学的迄今为止最为全面、深入的参考答案。

Joseph Needham's The Grand Titration: Science and Society in East and West provides so far the most systematic answer to the Needham Question, which would contribute significantly to understand the situation and potential of the Ming Qing science and technology, as well as the entire Chinese civilization. This article, first of all, points out that to understand this book, one needs to pay attention to Needham's methodology, including cautious progressive point of view, anti-Euro-centralism, rejection of the five-stage evolution theory, and structural and civilizational perspectives. Secondly, this article summed up Needham's explanations into three arguments, namely, Asian bureaucracy was the key institutional obstruction responsible for China's failure of seeing a scientific and technological revolution; there was a profound gap between ancient and modern sciences; the differences on law of nature and world view between China and the West paved the different roads for Chinese and Western sciences. Further, the article commented Needham's arguments based upon the author's own researches in Ming Qing history including pointing out some vague and questionable points of view by Needham.