Physics and the view of nature in traditional China

Abstract

We give an account of topics suitable for a model course in traditional Chinese science. A preliminary discussion examines problems in the study of non−Western science generally. An understanding of the indigenous Chinese view of nature requires an exposition of the development of natural philosophy from its Taoist and Naturalist origins to its culmination in the Neo−Confucian synthesis during the Sung dynasty. The central idea that emerges is the concept of a unified, interrelated organism as a model of nature. This affected the specialized fields of science: we survey briefly mathematics and astronomy, but concentrate on physics, especially its strongest subfields, acoustics and magnetism. We try to present Chinese science as a coherent view of nature in its own right, but also compare it with Western science, and explore the influences of Chinese science on the evolution of Western science and on present−day world science. Extensive references for further study are presented throughout this report.