Study On Qixue Rumen

Qixue Rumen is one of the natural science textbooks called Natural Philosophy which were compiled by the American missionary Martin W.A.P when he spent his time in Beijing. This set of textbooks has been used in the late Qing Dynasty of China for more than thirty years. From the point of structure, it has begun to take shape of the modern textbooks,which is of great significance to the new school education during the Westernization movement. Qixue Rumen is the first independent work of meteorology related to the term"Qi". But in addition to the introduction of the related knowledge of meteorology, it also contains some knowledge of steam and acoustic aspects, of which today seems to belong to the contents of physics. The book has played a role in the link between the preceding and the following of the spread of western modern meteorological science and technology in China. This book has also spread overseas, which has had a great impact on Japan and Democratic People's Republic of Korea.In this paper, Qixue Rumen is as the object of study.Based on the reading and analysis of substantial historical materials, a comprehensive review has been made in the paper covering different aspects such as book's background,the author's life,content, communication and influence of the book and textual research and analysis of the knowledge of meteorology, steam and sound introduced in the book has been carried out in the paper.Combine the thought of ancient Chinese science and technology and the corresponding academic thoughts in modern western countries to study the scientific and advanced nature of the knowledge introduced in the book. At the same time, this papers pays attention to the comparison between the various versions of the Qixue Rumen and scientific and technological works of the same period to explore the unique content of the book from the aspects of content dissemination to form construction, in order to give its accurate value orientation in the history of meteorology, culture and pedagogy in China.This paper is divided into four parts. In the first chapter studies the research of booking writing and the author of Qixue Rumen. From the perspective of internal and external factors, this part of paper introduces the background of the dissemination of science and technology introduced by missionary who come to China during the late Qing Dynasty,pointing out the necessity of the dissemination of Western science and technology works in the late Qing dynasty.At the same time, it gives a brief introduction to the author Martin W.A.P's family background, scientific and cultural background, Chinese language attainments and etc. And analyses the book-writing background and structural characteristics of Qixue Rumen.The second chapter and the third chapter is about the study of the meteorological elements, steam and acoustics described in Qixue Rumen. Focus on the content of Qixue Rumen to carry out a comprehensive analysis and, combine appropriately the development of modern western natural science and ancient Chinese meteorological thinking to analyses the scientific and inadequate aspects of the knowledge of meteorology, steam and acoustics described in the book.The fourth chapter is the comparative study of Qixue Rumen. Firstly to compare The Qixue Rumen with its 2 revised version,pointing out that there are some changes in the arrangement of the illustrations, the concrete content and the expression of the language. Secondly to compare the book with other scientific and technological works such as Bowu Xinbian and Qixue Xuzhi, highlighting the advanced nature of Qixue Rumen in the aspects of the used terms and contents express.The fifth chapter is the spread and influence of The Qixue Rumen Based on the historical materials, sort out the publishing and dissemination situation in the late Qing Dynasty to conclude its value and influence in the development of modern pedagogy, meteorology and the Westernization Movement in China and to point out its position and function in the early construction of modern meteorological science in China. At the same time sort out the spread and the influence of Qixue Rumen in Japan and Korea, emphasizing its value and importance again from the perspective of science communication history.The contents of Qixue Rumen is easy to understand, rich, comprehensive and illustrated and it is some fun of some degree. It pays attention to the combination of a large number of scientific experiments and examples in life, which is very practical.It has played a significant role in promoting the dissemination of the western modern natural science in China.