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Scientific Texts in Contest, 1600–1800

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Looking at it from Asia: the Processes that Shaped the Sources of History of Science

Part of the book series: Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science ((BSPS,volume 265))

Abstract

In recent decades, the role of canonical texts in major literary civilizations has been a subject of much debate. Some regard canonical texts as the essence of a civilization. Others stress the selected nature of these texts, arguing that the formation of authoritative texts is a power process which serves the interests of the elite who control these texts. This debate warns historians to scrutinize how essential texts of a civilization are chosen and how they impinge on our historical understanding of that civilization.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    (Bourdieu and Passeron 1977, 1–68).

  2. 2.

    (Chu 1999a 490–493).

  3. 3.

    (Chu 2007).

  4. 4.

    (Engelfriet and Siu 2001).

  5. 5.

    (Xu 1983, 788:10–11. Han 2001).

  6. 6.

    (Xu 1983, 788: 10. Chu 1999a).

  7. 7.

    (Xu 1983, 73).

  8. 8.

    (Ibid, 63).

  9. 9.

    (Ibid, 84).

  10. 10.

    (Ibid, 85).

  11. 11.

    (Xu 1986, 79–81). Xu's attitude toward Western science is not exceptional. His contemporary Xiong Mingyu 熊明遇, who was an official interested in Western natural philosophy, also examined Chinese natural knowledge critically and asserted that part of it was simply wrong or untrustworthy. (Xiong 1993.)

  12. 12.

    (Zhang 1976, 543).

  13. 13.

    (Gugong bowuyuan 2000, 1:124–30).

  14. 14.

    (Ibid, 1:309).

  15. 15.

    (Ibid, 1:256, 274–75).

  16. 16.

    (Dudink 2001).

  17. 17.

    (Schall and Verbiest n.d., juan 3, 23a–27a).

  18. 18.

    (Chu 1997a).

  19. 19.

    (Wang 1983, 789:947).

  20. 20.

    (Gu 1984, 856).

  21. 21.

    (Wen 1899, juan of prefaces, 4b).

  22. 22.

    (Wang 1983, 93:453)

  23. 23.

    (Wu 1999, 258).

  24. 24.

    (Chu 2003; Chu 2005).

  25. 25.

    (Guy 1987; Chu 2007). The impact of this gigantic compilation on the historiography of Chinese science is also discussed in this volume by Bréard, Chemla and Bretelle-Establet.

  26. 26.

    (Ruan 1982, 542).

  27. 27.

    (Yao 1848, 44:juan 42, 18b–20a).

  28. 28.

    (Duan 1980, 487–491).

  29. 29.

    Qin's work is often referred as Shushu Jiuzhang 數書九章.

  30. 30.

    (Yong 1983, 3:312).

  31. 31.

    (Dai 1980, 148).

  32. 32.

    (Ruan 1982, 568).

  33. 33.

    The Analytical Catalogue of the Comprehensive Collection of the Four Treasuries will be referred as the Analytical Catalogues hereafter.

  34. 34.

    (Qian 1983b).

  35. 35.

    (Guo 1992, 209–225).

  36. 36.

    I will refer to these two editions as Juzhenban and Huiyao hereafter.

  37. 37.

    (Zhang 1994, 6:632–644).

  38. 38.

    (Yong 1983, 3:278).

  39. 39.

    Ibid.

  40. 40.

    (Qian 1983, 151–174; Guo 1990, 261–293).

  41. 41.

    (Qianlong 1983a, 786:1).

  42. 42.

    (Qianlong 1983b, 797:1–2).

  43. 43.

    (Dai 1980, 120–121).

  44. 44.

    (Chu 2005).

  45. 45.

    (Zhoubi 1899, 395: 1a–3a. Huiyao mulu 1988, 1:498–50. Yong 1983, 3:287).

  46. 46.

    (Chu 2005).

  47. 47.

    (Jiuzhang 1899, 396: 1a–2b. Yong 1983, 3:304–305).

  48. 48.

    (Yong 1983, 3:288–9. Chu 2007).

  49. 49.

    (Huiyao mulu, 1:506).

  50. 50.

    (Huiyao mulu, 1:506–507).

  51. 51.

    (Yong 1983, 3:287).

  52. 52.

    (Jiang 1936, preface II 1–2).

  53. 53.

    (Ibid., 3–4. Chu 1997a,b).

  54. 54.

    (Qian 1989, 320).

  55. 55.

    (Ruan 1982, 528).

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  1. Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chu Pingyi

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  1. CNRS-UMR 7596, Equipe REHSEIS, Université Paris 7, place Jussieu 2, Paris CX 05, 75251, France

    Florence Bretelle-Establet

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Pingyi, C. (2010). Scientific Texts in Contest, 1600–1800. In: Bretelle-Establet, F. (eds) Looking at it from Asia: the Processes that Shaped the Sources of History of Science. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 265. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3676-6_5

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