Chinese Traditional Studies On Natural History In The First Period Of The West Cultures Import

In the first period of the West Cultures Import, the west cultures didn't radically change the shape of Chinese traditional studies on natural history. It still kept its moral, due to the development of both the folk and official taxonomic literatures specifically. This paper tries to evaluate the on which extent and merits of Chinese traditional studies on natural history at that time, basically approaching from the perspective of two related classic books, they are Kangxi Jixia Gewu Bian and Gezhi Jingyuan , by which they are works of official and of folk separately. As a result of the peculiar social background then, Chinese traditional studies on natural history had achieved a level of its peak, however, it was undermined by the Movement of Importing Foreign Cultures, which has made the Chinese traditional studies on natural history an end.The first chapter is an introduction to the frame of Chinese traditional studies on natural history as a whole system, including its origins and manifestations. By virtue of its proper philosophy, which advocates the harmony between human beings and nature, thus makes itself distinct from the modern science and having its own merits from a long-term view of cultural values, which also in turn inspired Kangxi Jixia Gewu Bian and Gezhi Jingyuan.The second chapter makes an analysis to their contents, outlines, methodologies and writing characters of Kangxi Jixia Gewu Bian and Gezhi Jingyuan. Accordingly, I will lay out their implications to the overall character about traditional studies on natural history, which is impressively different from modern science in respect of the attitude to nature.The third chapter discusses that having the background of the West Cultures Import, the interactions between Chinese traditional studies on natural history and west cultures. As inspired by the modern science, Kangxi Jixia Gewu Bian and Gezhi Jingyuan. appears merits of positivism and pragmatism. Whereas the spreading of west cultures was managed in the name of Gezhi, which effectively substituted Chinese traditional studies on natural history. In the part of epilogue, I shall make an overview to this thesis, at the same time, I shall emphasis on the value of Chinese traditional studies on natural history and point out that it will be brilliant again because of the needs of the times.