The Research Of Wu Cheng-luo's Contribution In The Modernization Of China

The modern science in China is the outcome of combination between the localized culture and the West Modern Science in long term, and the modernization of China is carried out in the communication of traditional cultural and the West. Unquestionably, the group of intellectuals is the pioneer in this process and it's also the important power to advancing the modernization of China. Wu Cheng-luo was a personage in the group. As a scientist in the period of Republic of China, Wu Cheng-luo was also an expert in managing science at that time. Although he was an expert in the background that traditional cultural of China collided with the West hardly, it is clear that his work was not only the communication of the cultural with Chinese and the West. Wu Cheng-luo pursued the enterprise to saving China with science and industry all his life, and his achievements by his manner for the spread of the West Science in modern China and the realization of"Localization"were great. Thus, it is indispensably that the status of Wu Cheng-luo's work has the substantial part of studying the process of Chinese modernization and the localization of modern science. However, there has no systematic investigation for it internal.This dissertation is based on the works and articles of Wu Cheng-luo, and combined the historical literatures of Republic of China, such as records, periodicals, cahiers, historical compilations, etc., to demonstrate Wu Cheng-luo's crucial contributions during the metrological revolution in the period of Republic of China. His important effort in advancing industrial standardization of Republic of China, and constructing the system of Chinese modern chemistry, and initiating the research of the Chinese system of weights and measures are also investigated in this dissertation. At the same time, this study provides a new approach to study the modernization of China and the transformation of traditional society.The chapters of this study are based on Wu Cheng-luo's work in several fields. In introduction, the context of subject and the actuality of research are summarized. The thinking and method of investigation are also included in this part.Summary of the chapter one is focus on Wu Cheng-luo's life, Wu Cheng-luo's works and some contexts of them. All of these are the standpoint to making the investigation of Wu Cheng-luo thoroughly.Chapter two discusses the contributions of Wu Cheng-luo in the process of advancing Chinese modern system of weights and measures, which is based on his works in the metrological revolution of Republic of China. The metrological revolution includes metrological standard and administrative system of weights and measures, which are discussed in chapter two. The study of this part is based on the connection of"One-Two-Three"of the Chinese metrological system to the international metrological standards by Wu Cheng-luo. It also describes the modernization of Chinese metrological system, which by embodying the popularization of the units of weights and measures, and training professional staff for the metrological revolution of Republic of China by Wu Cheng-luo. Besides, this paper mentions the facts that Wu Cheng-luo was the first person ever to designate the scope of modern"measures", and discusses the effects of the metrological system of the People's Republic of China from the metrological revolution of Republic of China. The significations of the arguments for the units of weights and measures, and the producing of"One-Two-Three"of Chinese metrological system are also the important contents in this chapter. Indubitably, all of these show the fact that Wu Cheng-luo holding the balance in the modernization of Chinese metrological system.Chapter three analyses Wu Cheng-luo's works in the field to research the general history of weights and measures, which is based on the studying of Wu Cheng-luo's writings that is the history of Chinese metrological system. This book is the first work of researching the general history of Chinese metrological systems in China, and it is also providing advance and taking warning to the metrological revolution of Republic of China. As well this chapter studies the significant status of the writings in the research for the history of metrological systems and others, which is depending on analyzing the contents and context of this book, and combining the correlative researches for the book by Wan Guo-ding, Wang Da, Guo Zheng-zhong, Qiu Guang-ming, etc. It administers to understand the purport of this work, and to take warning to the metrological revolution of Republic of China by the study of the general history of Chinese metrological system.In chapter four the exploitation of industrial standardization in Republic of China by Wu Cheng-luo is discussed. It is clear that to study the status of the industrial standardization of the world and the industry of China are the stand points and the origins for Wu Cheng-luo's works to advancing the industrial standardization. This part studies Wu Cheng-luo's opinions for the connection between industrial standardization and industrialization, and the fortune of nation. Meanwhile, it also discusses the significant effects by Wu Cheng-luo on advancing the project of the industrial standardization in modern China, which is through the investigation of the relations between the industrial standardization and the metrological revolution, and the movement for studying modern science, and the unification of professional terms in Republic of China by Wu Cheng-luo. Furthermore, this part analyses the appearance and mitigation of several contradictions in the project of the industrial standardization in Republic of China, and then embodies the time spirit of Wu Cheng-luo's works.In chapter five Wu Cheng-luo's works in advancing the foundation of the modern chemical system of China is studied. This part is based on Wu Cheng-luo's writings for interrelated fields, to discussing his studies about Chinese chemical industry and the creative thinking for the modernization of Chinese chemical education. Moreover, Wu Cheng-luo's contributions in uniting the system of chemical terms, to founding and developing the Chinese Academy of Chemistry and chemical periodical, are discussed in this chapter. At the same time, his essential ideas in setting up and developing the academy and the publication are also the important parts of this section.The conclusion is based on the research of this dissertation, to analyzing Wu Cheng-luo's trait in work which is combined administration and learning, science study and localization. Undoubtedly, it also helps to appraise the status of Wu Cheng-luo in the modern history of China and the process of localization of the modern science impersonally.Wu Cheng-luo has an especial and important position in the modernization of Chinese, no matter what we discuss about. It is obvious that his starting point of investigations and works were based on the connection of the traditional cultural and the west cultural. However, his accomplishment showed that he had beyond the communication of Chinese and the West simply. With the manner in rational, Wu Cheng-luo advanced the localization of modern science constructively, as well to search the special interest of Chinese traditional cultural and the point of communication with the west civilization.Indubitably, it cannot carry out that depending on few scientists and experts to advancing the modernization in China. It needs a group of intelligentsia who can understand and handle the communication between different civilizations suitably. As a scientist, and the supervisor and constitutor of advancing the process of modern science in China, Wu Cheng-luo offered his whole life to advancing the modernization of China, and it is no doubt that the status of Wu Cheng-luo is irreplaceable in modern history of China.