Travel Through The Territory Of Thought

Kuo Sung-tao (1818-1891), is a great thinker and statesman, set a precedent of official travel western world as First ambassador in Chinese modern history. People pay more attention to Kuo’s thinking, there are appear in one hundred years, which has been commonly agreed in history field. However, the study found that there are two questions based on Kuo’s literatures. First, Kuo is a devoted recorder of the production development and scientific advancement in the West 19th century. Kuo’s diary is highly documented of be shown modern western industrial civilization by Westerner, is consciousness of oneself as an individual for Chinese traditional knowledge structure and introspective. Second, there are still imperfections in Kuo’s study.1. The historical faction Orientation of Kuo is uncertain.2. The Kuo existing studies lacks intensive discussed in history of science and technological field.3. It is inferior for the analysis of cultural about Kuo’s psychology and character. Literature of the Chinese and western presses are lacking in the Study of scientific and technological achievements of Britain and France in Kuo’s eyes. Therefore, seeing from the angle of the history of science and technological, the article make a case discuss about Kuo and Modern Western Astronomy. Taking both Kuo’s thinking and historical contexts Chinese and western culture the comprehensive academic analysis, based on his mission three years, to realize technological advancements in the West 19th century, to discuss Kuo’s cognition of the astronomical instrument, the universe’s design, spectroscopy experiments, the transits of planet, the scientific method and the astronomical education. By qualitative and quantitative analysis on this content, research the possibility of an interactive conversation and assimilation between different Chinese and western region culture.The study, based on the historical literature, adopted text analysis, scientific metrology and so on, appropriate used secondary data. First, in processing the historical literature, avoid being subjective and one-sided. The value rests above all in the ability to provide evidence as objectively as possible. Such as Kuo’s diaries, letters, memorial to the throne, poems and essays. Using English article or magazine and official flies check, supple and research the detail of Kuo’s mission visit. Second, deeply studies a lot of typical cases used a combined history of Science and scientific society history. Analysis Kuo’s changes in Western science and technology attitudes using methods culturology and psychology, to explore a possible way in the intercultural dialogue beside of science and technology intension. Third, comparison with the analysis of various figures cases studies show that an important foundation of Kuo’s thinking to make an accurate reservation of Kuo and his thinking.This study contains the following several parts.This thesis will dissertate from eight aspects. Discuss knowledge subsystems of Western astronomy in Kuo’s diaries separately, research thought conflict, thought exchange and meaning when this subsystems met Kuo’s traditional knowledge system. And surveyed Kuo’s thinking changes for western astronomy in his mission period surrounding the four times records Neptune’s discovery in Kuo diary. Finally, synthetically discussing influence on advocated astronomical education. Intrinsic logic of the complete thesis is:Chapter one is an introduction to the thesis. Main introduce the thesis research purposes, significance, interests, framework, theory, method, purport and so on. A kind of the east the west gradually with ordinary intellectuals viewing angle is presented. Two-way (China and West) dig historical records hoping to find a new light. Contacts between Kuo and modern western astronomy what is selected studies. The thesis should make a concrete analysis of each specific question. Kuo’s study is an excellent case that explained the cultural conflict and reaches the culture identity of scholar thinking and ideology between China and West.Chapter two, combing communication situation between different cultures before 1877, includes public opinion of domestic and external. Summarizing Kuo’s knowledge of the world before 1877, official career suffers a setback and thoughts changed, to make the coordinates on the history map of dissemination of Western learning gradually. It is the foundation before study.Chapter three is based on the study which Kuo visited Britain and French Observatory in 19th century. Investigates its reason, he follow in Tao-qi concept of Wang Chuan-shan footsteps is the root reason that he closed an objective neutralized cognitive style.Chapter four, the Chinese traditional universal view has been losing its vitality during spreading and inheriting process. Kuo knew the shape of the Earth and part of law of the universe in West. But he can’t understand the core concept of astronomy "the gravitational interaction". Concrete experience of Western civilization, such as search of planet Vulcan, enabled that Kuo got objective the universe’s design.Chapter five, the spectroscopy contents in Kuo diary, is among the first attempt to learn and accept modern optical knowledge. Analyze the process that he accept strange thing from the first attempt to learn and accept modern spectroscopy knowledge, in order to set a special example for the study on Western learning spreading to the East.Chapter six, the part begins with the transits of Venus in 1874 in Kuo diary to make readers watch same reports and variety of responses of among different countries, from three aspects:the transits of Venus and Kuo, observation celestial bodies and the public, interpreting nature and national interest. This points to within him conflict between proved objective world by west and his religion of the unity of heaven and man.Chapter seven, according to four times record Neptune’s discovery in Kuo diary, time masterstroke, general discuss Kuo’s knowledge about western practical learning. He praised him for western anxiety for knowledge, and then told on social regulation. The Eastern ethics thinking carried it off the west scientific spirit’s road.Chapter eight, study the influence of Kuo in history of dissemination of Western learning gradually. In action Kuo advocated initiating Chinese Western Education, such as, advocated initiating subject of astronomical & mathematics in School of Combined Learning, Initiating subject of Astronomical & mathematics in Xiang River Jiaojing College when he returned. Het smoothed out his Confucian viewpoints, found education power as social person, made up for his elderly slowness, concentrated on raise the standards of state education for saving the nation. Promoted social development and progress by the Science & Technology and three powerful dynasties in Chinese history appears to merge in the seeking of the perfection of the value of life.Chapter nine is conclusion, mainly coordinates and induces the discussing progeny completed by the author. First, based on the theory that ego is media of perceived causation, after all Kuo is still a Chinese traditional intellectual who pursue to be the inner-focused philosopher. Thus, answer question which if he was a great prophet beyond his time, rank and country. Second, It is the basis of learning knowledge of astronomy that an attitude of open and neutrality and found heliocentric universe’s design. Unfortunately, Kuo ultimately had to discuss the man and education from Chinese ethics angles. It also says he west scientific spirit are not easily perceived and migration. One thing for sure, seeing is believe, method of spread scientific knowledge is efficacious. Third, he seeds a graveyard frantically for himself, point, his particular the emotions and talents eventually returned to of the philosophy Heaven, Earth and man of Chinese traditional culture. Fourth, if communicate with one another at the man of the main element of society perspective, be able to step across a nationalist divide. The results will have implications for range of practical problems in the Sino-Western cultural exchanges.The innovations of this thesis are mainly the following aspects:Firstly, Reviewing the related literatures and abroad, and analyzing and discussing them. This literature includes Pu Pao, Chinese Globe Magazine, Peking Magazine, Ting Yuan Suo Ji, Shanghai Serial, Dian Shi-zhai Pictorial, A Small Pot Zhai Territory Plexus Copy, etc. Gather information of scientific culture and diplomacy, try to recreates a real society situation of the Sino-Western cultural exchanges. Through retrieved The British Newspapers 1800-1900, first quoted related news of Kuo’s mission, Kuo recorded. Consulted archives of the emperor’s decrees were in the national archives, the unpublished writings of Kuo to reveal consensus in Western affairs and learning in his old age. Used related papers in NASA, JSTOR, INSPEC, etc. in the late 1800s overall to show history of the development of science and technology in Western.Secondly, Based on the materials and survey for Western astronomical literature in Kuo diary, the study has solid foundation. Then documents and analysis a scientific cognitive process of Kuo and systematically reflect the process his thoughts changed, self-recognition.Thirdly, it is generally thought in the history of science that Kuo’s influence in the introduction of western learning to the east need not is discussed at all, because he grounded himself thoroughly in science education, is not researcher of knew a lot about everything, and during his lifetime his diary was never published. This thesis is intended to serve as a Kuo’s dimensions in history of the introduction of western learning to the east, then on the basis of this concept, his thought active process are deeply studied, to made a qualitative analysis which scientific knowledge growing up, complex historical process of occurring, developing, transmission and absorption in a different cultures society. Finally definitely held the view that his contributions to Chinese education of astronomy science.Fourthly, Some new viewpoints about Kuo’s thinking are given, break away from original evaluation model by infallible, great and all-powerful, to avoid extreme that echo back view of modernity.