Zhang Zhidong’s Thought And Practice Of Coast Defence:An Approach To The Science, Technology And Society Study From Communication Perspectives

The core of Zhang Zhidong’s thought and practice on coast defence is to resist the aggression of foreign naval forces by learning from the West. The context by and large can be understood from the perspectives of communication in science and technology, while the course and effect perfectly reflect the interaction between science, technology, and society. Taking account of the theories and methods in communication studies, this thesis explores the origin of Zhang Zhidong’s coast defending thought,expounds the context and characteristics of his idea and practice in different periods,analyzes the relevant effect and impact on Chinese society,and proposes a new evaluation to Zhang’s contribution in Chinese modern history. The author also treats this thesis as a case study approaching to the studies so-called “STS”( Science, Technology, and Society), and attempts to display the significance of applying communication in historical inquiries..First,the author analyzes the origin of Zhang Zhidong’s coast defending thought, attributing his early experience and the rise of the modern Chinese navy construction to various personal and social factors,emphasizing the historical events that stimulated Zhang’s thought on coast defence, including the revision of boundary treaty with Russia,the annexation of Ryukyu by Japan,and the conflict with France in Vietnam. Then,the author focuses on those facts dealing with the relation between the communicators and the audiences,the contents and channels of communication,to discuss and analyze the context and characteristics of Zhang Zhidong’s coast defending thought and practice, respectively before and after the periods of Sino-French war(1883-1885),the Sino-Japanese war(1894-1895) and the Constitutional Reform(1898). The author points out that Zhang’s thought and initial practice on coast defence began in the first period; he had gradually deepened thinking and extended activities during the second period especially influenced by China’s defeat in the war; eventually he had realized the shortage of his earlier thought and practice,and in pace with the third period, Zhang began to change his strategies from the “coast defence” to the “political reform”,as well as that from “learning from the West” to “learning from Japan”. Finally,the author analyzes the distinction between short-term effect and long-term effect of communication,by stressing the enormous impact of Zhang’s coast defending thought and practice on the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic times,in terms of the progress in political,military,economic and social aspects. All of those have brought positive impact on China’s further development, and in general Zhang’s work on China’s coast defence is worth praising.Differed from previous studies, this thesis deals with the content,characteristics, effects and historical status of Zhang Zhidong’s thought and practice on coast defence in a quite new way, which explores the possibility of introducing the theories and methodologies of communication into historical studies, in particular the development of science and technology in modern China. Furthmore, it reveals the convenience and superiority of this approach in terms of developing a case study under the frame of a grand narration. Meanwhile, this thesis also perfectly displays the interaction between science, technology, and society in pace with the dissemination and transportation of knowledge and technology in modern Chinese history.