Yabuuchi Kyoshi And His Research Of History Of Astronomy In China

Through investigating an important figure in the science and technology history of both China and Japan—Yabuuchi kyoshi,this paper intends to: 1)uncover the life style and the ideological characteristics of a group of scholars(with Yabuuchi kyoshi as the core)in the School of science history of Kyoto University,during the period of Modern Japan(from the Second World War to peaceful development period);2)discuss the ideological sparks Yabuuchi kyoshi had after his academic communication with other research groups;and 3)analyze the unknown sides of Yabuuchi kyoshi and his research team.Japanese scholars' study on the history of astronomy in China,in terms of both its developing stage and form,is of special significance in the field of science and technology history.In this regard,Yabuuchi kyoshi's research has played a leading role and been considered a particularly important indicator.The present study hopes to promote,in this new historical period and thereafter,the further deepening and development of studies on astronomical history.Firstly,with Yabuuchi kyoshi's life and the academic school he was in as a starting point,this study analyzes the foundation of Yabuuchi kyoshi's academic thought.Secondly,from his work of reinterpretating the calendar,this study intends to find out the process of his thought being more mature.Secondly,the author believes that it is necessary to clarify how Yabuuchi kyoshito used Western academic theories and mathematical analysis methods to organize part of the Chinese calendar.This will help to explore Yabuuchi kyoshito's research ideas and to identify some flaws that may exist in his ideas.From an academic standpoint,Yabuuchi adhered to the position of Sinology school in Kyoto University,to interprete the traditional astronomical calendar in China.In addition,he strived to explore the social and political significance of the Chinese calendar.It should be said that,by reviewing a series of research findings obtained by Yabuuchi kyoshi,we can not only deepen our academic knowledge about the scholars dedicated to the field of science and technology history in that era,but also enrich the subject matter of science and technology history.This paper is organized into 10 chapters.Chapter 1 is an introduction to the present study.Chapter 2 to Chapter 4 mainly deal with Yabuuchi kyoshi's life and the academic school he was involved in.Chapter 5 to Chapter 9 focus on his research findings on the history of astronomy in China.Chapter 10 is the conclusion.Chapters 2 and 3 center around the origin and the growing process of Yabuuchi kyoshi's academic knowledge,as well as the conditions and atmosphere under wich his studies had been conducted.The Chinese School of Kyoto University is the birthplace of the Chinese Academy of science and technology in Japan,and particularly,the three founders,namely,Kno Naoki?Nait? Torajir? and Shinzo Shinjo were the theoretical guidance and spiritual leaders of Yabuuchi kyoshi's academic studies.Since Shinjo is known as the “authority of the history of oriental astronomy”,this paper therefore first explores the China Science school of Kyoto University and history of oriental astronomy.From this we can find the origin of Yabuuchi's academic thought,and his academic motivation and theoretical basis to convert the history of Japanese astronomy to the history of Chinese astronomy,and even to the field of science and technology history in China.In addition,by analyzing his life circumstances,learning process,and how he went through the twists and turns in his academic circle and in the field of science and technology history,and gradually became more mature in his academic thoughts,we can understand the process of his academic accumulation and the development of his thought.His life proves that the cultivation of excellent scholars is closely related to academic freedom and good working atmosphere.The author believes that investigation into the academic success and failure of Yabuuchi kyoshi and his department which functioned as the center in a hundred years history of Science in East Asia(Iapan and China)is a subject worthy of being continued in-depth.Chapter 4 mainly deals with Yabuuchi kyoshi's relationship with China by discussing the complex relationships and interactions between Yabuuchi kyoshi and his research object,under the historical background of modern Japan from militarism to the post-war reconstruction until nowaday's peaceful development.In the era of Japanese militarism,the study of Chinese Science in Kyoto University had been used by militarists as an instrument to advocate aggression and landscaping expansion,and to beautify militarism.Under such political pressures,Yabuuchi kyoshi had done some bad things to China,but Chinese people,with a broad mind,have offered him opportunities and support.After the war,Yabuuchi kyoshi reflected on himself and changed his academic objectives.He no longer kept silent and gradually held a positive attitude towards China,with "maintaining peace between Japan and China,and understanding China" as his research and academic outlook.In short,the change of Yabuuchi kyoshi's academic concept and his attitude towards China mirror the transformation of the majority of historians of science in Japan moving from a historical “right and wrong upside down” stage to a new stage of "re-understanding of China".Thus,from his hundred years of life course,the author selects some important fragments to elaborate,with an attempt to tap on the mentality of this scholar.Chapter 5 to Chapter 8 present and review the findings of his research.The history of the Chinese calendar is divided into four stages(i.e.the origin,shape,development,and decline stage)and two periods(i.e.the rise and fall period,compared with the West).Through the analysis of his way of combing with the history of the calendar of Qin Shihuang,the author believes that generally at that time Yabuuchi kyoshi had already identified “the Chinese calendar as a unique political and cultural activity in China” — this is the main content of the reform of the Chinese calendar.Chinese and Western astronomy have a certain amount of commonality,but have different styles and development directions.First,by comparing the origin and development between Chinese and Western astronomy,Yabuuchi kyoshi finds the essence of the difference between the two and the reason why they embark on a different path of development;then,by analyzing the historical process of India and Islamic astronomy being absorbed and integrated in Chinese astronomy,Yabuuchi kyoshi elaborates on the reason why the Chinese and and Western astronomy cannot be melted in the Ming and Qing dynasties.In a word,Yabuuchi kyoshi analyzes the path that Chinese astronomical calendar went through,and provides the modern significance of the study on Chinese astronomical calendar.His research focuses on the exploration of the social significance of the Chinese calendar,which is the subversion of the traditional Chinese astronomy research path and redevelopment.His research ideas and methods marry the historical tradition with the mathematical tradition.With this,he tries to restore the historical prototype Chinese astronomical calendar.When practicing this research path,Yabuuchi kyoshi notes that it should be avoided to interprete calendar by simply resorting to the mathematical way.At the same time,he tries to to control thought history and sociology research methods,in order to prevent the emergence of distracting.The author believes that there are many merits in his research theories and methods.Based on Yabuuchi kyoshi's mathematical astronomy research,Chapter 9 presents four important research findings of his: first,by investigating the Chinese ancient celestial coordinates,Yabuuchi kyoshi put forwards the view of “a special coordinate system in China”,and by pushing back the ancient catalogs and exploring its establishment era,he parses China's coordinate conversion computing;second,he analyzes the calculation of the position of the sun and the moon calendar in Sui and Tang dynasties,and reveals the calculation method in ancient China New Moon model;thirdly,by starting from the change of the theory of planetary motion,he explores the possibility of whether or not there are some inherent and unknown theory of planetary motion;and finally,he uses the interpolation method as a breakthrough,and restores the Chinese ancient astronomical algorithm,and also gives it significance to modern astronomy.It can be said that after reviewing his research findings,the author believes that he is trying to return the ancient Chinese algorithm to a "scientific" non-western theory.But at the same time,in the theory of the kind described by Yabuuchi kyoshi,it is a way to converge with the West "science." He reveals some of the similarities between the Western and ancient Chinese theories.Therefore,he has opened up a new way in the field of the history of science,but whether this idea is feasible or not still needs to be verified in the future.