There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
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Overview
There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology:
- cultural factors as obstacles Details...
- no scientific revolution in China Details...
- no idea of "order" in nature Details...
- different from the European Details...
Overview
There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology:
- But: superior in astronomy Details...
- But: Traditional Chinese Medicine Details...
cultural factors as obstacles
Cultural factors made it impossible for those technological achievements in ancient China to develop into genuine scientific knowledge (Support:
+50%):
- achieving harmony with nature more important Details...
- political difficulty Details...
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achieving harmony with nature more important
achieving harmony with nature more important
- the idea of achieving harmony with nature instead of conquering it is so deeply entrenched in ancient Chinese culture (Support:
+50%)
Reference: Sprague de Camp, L. (1970). The Ancient Engineers. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. p.289 - Overview Previous Topic « »
Title: There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
- Because: Cultural factors as obstacles
- Because: Achieving harmony with nature more important
political difficulty
Chinese political system was hostile to scientific progress:
- merchant-led science inhibited by bureaucrats Details...
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merchant-led science inhibited by bureaucrats
merchant-led science inhibited by bureaucrats
- Chinese scholar-bureaucrats inhibited the status and power of merchant guilds, the source of scientific progress in the West
Reference: Needham, J. (1969). The grand titration. London: Allen & Unwin. p.197 - Overview Previous Topic « »
Title: There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
- Because: Cultural factors as obstacles
- Because: Political difficulty
- Because: Merchant-led science inhibited by bureaucrats
superior in astronomy
The first recorded observations of comets, solar eclipses and supernovas were made in China:
- Because: not scientific Details...
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not scientific
the astronomical knowledge cannot be treated as scientific:
- lacks generalization Details...
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lacks generalization
lacks generalization
- astronomical records in ancient China aim only at practical purpose, instead of any generalization that is central to scientific discourse
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Title: There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
- But: Superior in astronomy
- But: Not scientific
- Because: Lacks generalization
Traditional Chinese Medicine
China has long developed a its own system of medicine since ancient time:
- Because: not scientific Details...
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not scientific
Traditional Chinese Medicine is not scientific:
Because: - pseudo-science Details...
- But: still practiced Details...
- But: TCM has its own theory Details...
- But: only to western medicine Details...
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still practiced
still practiced
- TCM is still practiced nowadays
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Title: There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
- But: Traditional Chinese Medicine
- But: Not scientific
- But: Still practiced
TCM has its own theory
TCM has its own theory
- Traditional Chinese Medicine is systematic, having its own theoretical framework derived mainly from the ancient Daoist philosophy
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Title: There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
- But: Traditional Chinese Medicine
- But: Not scientific
- But: TCM has its own theory
only to western medicine
only to western medicine
- it is not "scientific" only according to the view of western medicine
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Title: There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
- But: Traditional Chinese Medicine
- But: Not scientific
- But: Only to western medicine
pseudo-science
pseudo-science
- There is no physically verifiable anatomical or physiological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians (skepdic.com)
- Overview Previous Topic « »
Title: There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
- But: Traditional Chinese Medicine
- But: Not scientific
- Because: Pseudo-science
no scientific revolution in China
China did not develop a Scientific Revolution as the western world did:
- But: China had such a revolution Details...
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China had such a revolution
China had such a revolution
- China indeed had a scientific revolution in the 17th century
Reference: Sivin, Nathan. (1973). Chinese Science: Explorations of an Ancient Tradition. MIT East Asian Science Series, 2. Edited by Shigeru Nakayama & N.S. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. - Overview Previous Topic « »
Title: There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
- Because: No scientific revolution in China
- But: China had such a revolution
no idea of "order" in nature
no idea of "order" in nature
- ancient Chinese did not have a comprehensive view of the order of natural world which is fundamental to modern science, but only a mystical, metaphysical one
Reference: Woods, Thomas. (2005) How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization. Washington, DC: Regenery - Overview Previous Topic « »
Title: There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
- Because: No idea of "order" in nature
different from the European
different from the European
- unlike in Europe, genuine science, which comprises of theories and control experimentations, did not prevail in China
- Overview Previous Topic « »
Title: There was no genuine science in ancient China, only technology
- Because: Different from the European