2024-25 T1 7 Ronan Lecture
2024-25 T1 7 Ronan Lecture
Core question:
How to explain the natural world from an ancient Chinese view
UGFN Text 7
• The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China: An Abridgement
of Joseph Needham’s Original Text (Vol. 1)
– Abridgment: Colin Ronan
– Original text: Joseph Needham
• Part of Chapter 10
– The Fundamental Ideas of Chinese Science
• Note Science: 有系統地對待⾃然世界的理解
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Joseph Needham (1900-1995)
• 李約瑟
• British biochemist, historian and sinologist
• Titles
– 1941 Fellow of the Royal Society
– 1971 Fellow of British Academy
– 1992 Companionship of Honour
Needham's question:
• Awards 為什麼中國古時科學比⻄⽅更進步,現代科學還是由⻄
⽅發現先?
– 1968 Leonardo da Vinci Medal
– 1979 Dexter Award
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Structure of Text 7
(2) Five
elements
(1) Yin-yang
(3) Associative
thinking
蚚蜴的顏⾊變化—> 易 = 變化
FN quiz 不⽤背表
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modern science:
deduction 還原論(愈睇愈細--> 粒⼦) 整全論(所有東⻄是由同⼀條氣組成,整體去理解 )
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Chhi (Qi 氣)
• 天地一切事物組成的本原:氣
• 宇宙間的一切事物,均是氣的運行與
變化的結果
• 《易經》
– I Ching
– Book of Change
– 300 BC
• Only two states of qi operating in nature, one yin and one yang.
– 變化有規律,簡單來說就是陰陽的規律
Two Fundamental Forces
• Yin and yang are both opposite and complementary to each other.
– Yin: darkness, femaleness, cloud, cold …
– Yang: light, maleness, sunshine, warmth …
「兩儀生四象,四象生八卦。」 《周易》
Taijitu liangyi
太極兩儀圖
[Text 7, para 32]
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Two Fundamental Forces
與⽜頓的forces, 外在⼒沒關
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(2) Five Elements (wu hsing 五行)
五⾏:氣的流動、變化
• Four orders
– The Cosmogonic Order
– The Mutual Production Order
– The Mutual Conquest Order
– The ‘Modern’ Order
• Two principles
– Principle of Control
– Principle of Masking
(2) Five Elements (wu hsing 五行)
• Four orders
– The Cosmogonic Order
– The Mutual Production Order
– The Mutual Conquest Order
– The ‘Modern’ Order
• Two principles
– Principle of Control
– Principle of Masking
Two Principles
W: conquered
element
• Principle of masking 相化
• Example:
Wood W conquers (reduces) Earth
E but Fire F masks the process by
producing Earth E.
Para. 19, line 5:
“…the process, since Fire will
destroy Wood and make Earth
(ash)…”
The Symbolic Correlations
象徵性的關聯
“The Five Elements gradually came to be associated with every
conceivable category of things in the universe that it was possible to
classify in fives”
氣包括所有物質和過程變化 (Para 21)
“…the Five Elements were believed to lie behind every substance and
every process. With these Five Elements were associated or correlated
everything in the universe susceptible of a fivefold arrangement.”
(Para 30)
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The Symbolic Correlations
2024:甲辰
試試將表九的項目配置到
南
以方位為基礎的系統裡
• 方
• 行
• 宮
• 色
• 蟲
• 陰陽
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Criticism
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(3) ‘Associative’ Thinking 聯想思考
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(3) ‘Associative’ Thinking 聯想思考
相互感染對⽅
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“Their [Things] existence depended on the whole world-organism, and they
reacted on one another by a kind of mysterious resonance.” (Para 34)
(reading guide)
Chinese vs. Greek (Para. 37)
• Chinese
– to systematize the universe of things and events into a
structural pattern which conditioned all the mutual
influences of its different parts
– Order, pattern, organism
• Greek
– Democritus
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Democritus (c. 460– c. 370 BC)
提出原⼦論(世間不會切
割出比粒⼦還細的東⻄)
• Two types of basic realities of kosmos
– Atom 原子 and Void 虛空 void: for 粒⼦轉動
• Atom
– Infinite in number
– Indivisible, indestructible, uncreated
• Atomism 原子論
– Meaning of life and death
– Conceptualization of the world
– The whole universe is the “dance of atoms”
– All changes in the world are nothing but
changes in the arrangement of atoms
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How to explain the natural world?
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Questions to Ponder on…
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Reminders
• PASS (optional, HYS G03, 2:30-3:30 pm)
• 2nd movie discussion (1% OP) RoboCop (2014)
– Date and time: Nov 7 (Thu), 5:40-9:15 pm
– Venue: MMW LT2
– Registration deadline: Nov 3 (11:59 pm) (canceled if fewer than 10 participants)
– Registration link: https://cloud.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/mycuform/view.php?id=1460492
• Next tutorial
– Quiz in Texts 5 and 7 (be on time!)
– Discussion on Text 7
• Next Friday
– Rooftop discussion (9:00-11:00 am, be on time!)
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Enjoy Reading
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