试论中国近代科学教育产生的动因与背景

On the Cause and Background of the Occurrence of Chinese Modern Scientific Education

以西方近代科学为主要内容的中国近代学校科学教育,兴起于19世纪60年代洋务派创办的新式学堂。其兴起的最直接动因是鸦片战争失败后清政府御侮图强的需要;同时,西方传教士在华创办的教会学校和其它文化机构为近代学校科学教育的兴起提供了积极借鉴;明末清初的西学东渐为近代学校科学教育的兴起提供了一定的社会基础;中国古代的科学教育传统则是近代学校科学教育产生的文化基础;从自然科学本身来说,科学是没有国界的,科学具有异域的流传性和可接受性。中国近代学校科学教育就是在上述诸种因素综合作用下产生的,其中各种因素的作用又不尽相同。

Chinese modern scientific education, which sprang up as new schools in 1860s was mainly based on western style. The most direct cause of its occurrence is Qing Government' s determination after the failure of Opium War. Meanwhile, western missionaries in China set up church schools and other cultural organizations which provided active reference for arising of modern scientific education. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the emergence of modern scientific education was based on western school of thought, which influenced the East in the social way and Chinese ancient scientific education tradition in the cultural way. In terms of natural science, science has no national boundaries but has circulation and acceptableness in foreign countries. Chinese modern scientific education is generated under a comprehensive function of various factors, each of which is different from the other.