试论中国近代技术思想的生成

Discussion on the Generation of Modern Chinese Technological Thought

中国近代技术思想的生成是技术思想史演变历程中一次不可忽视的“范式”转换。其概念语境和理念语境是在晚清兴起西学东渐与倡导师夷长技的总体背景下,以外来词为载体的基础技术概念和技术工具主义的不同认知。其基本原则包括四条:由技术史的裂变与技术定位的复归而展现出批判性,由封闭性的扭转与对外政策的推动而展现出开放性,由关注应用技术与技术效用而展现出实用性,由主流的军事技术与支流的非军事技术而展现出层次性。对其评价应联系中国社会历史实际来看,既有初构新科技观的理论变革意义和助推洋务运动的实践变革意义,也存在技术手段与社会目标无法匹配等不少局限。对正处于百年未有之大变局的当代中国而言,启示在于增强主动性,妥善协调批判与继承的关系,处理好引进技术与自主创新的关系。中国技术的高水平自立自强一日未实现,近代技术思想生成的意义就一分不会减。

The generation of modern Chinese technological thought is a"paradigm"shift that cannot be ignored in the evolution of the history of technological thought.Its contexts of concepts and ideas are basic technological concepts carried by loanwords and different cognitions of technological instrumentalism,under the general background of the rise of Western Learning Spreading to the East and the advocacy of Learning the Superior Skills of the Barbarians in the late Qing Dynasty.There are four basic tenets:criticality from the fission of technological history and the reversion of technological positioning,openness from the reversal of closeness and the promotion of foreign policy,practicability by focusing on applied technology and technology utility,and hierarchy from mainstream military technology and tributary non-military technology.Its evaluation should be based on the reality of Chinese society and history.There is not only the theoretical reform significance of the initial construction of the new scientific and technological view and the practical reform significance of boosting the Westernization Movement,but also many limitations such as the mismatch between technological means and social goals.For contemporary China,which is going through profound changes unseen in a century,the enlightenment lies in enhancing its initiative,properly coordinating the relationship between criticism and inheritance,and handling the relationship between the introduction of technology and independent innovation.Until China achieves a high level of technological self-reliance and self-improvement,the significance of the generation of modern technological thought will not be reduced.