When did the word "science" appear in China?

Who first used the word "science" in China?

Source: originally published Dialectics of Nature Newsletter, No.4, 2009 Author: Zhou Xiufang

There are many different views on who first used the word "science" in China's literature. The author of the word "science" in Chinese Dictionary thinks that the use of the word "science" can be traced back to Chen Liang in the Southern Song Dynasty at least [1]. Yuan Hanqing believes that Liang Qichao first used "science" [2]; Fan Hongye thinks that Kang Youwei is the first person to use "science" [3]; Wang Hui thinks that Yan Fu may be the first person to use "science" in China [4]; Not long ago, Zhu Fajian suggested that Wang Guowei was the first person to use the word "science" in modern China. Who was the first to use the word "science" in China literature? In what sense did he use the word "science"? Also, were Yan Fu, Wang Guowei and others really the first people to use "science" in modern China? A clear understanding of these problems will undoubtedly help us to clarify some specious understandings of the word "science" and deepen people's understanding of the early spread of modern science in China. Below, the author intends to focus on these issues and make a preliminary investigation on the use of the word "science" in the history of China.

First, the controversy about the first person to use "science"

The text is 12, and the entry of "Neo-Confucianism" published in 1993 begins with the following words: "① the study of imperial examinations. Song Chenliang's "Preface to Sending Granduncle to Zhou Jun": "Since the prosperity of science, people who are scholars in the world have often been trapped in a day's journey, or even died of old age or never met each other." "[1] Chen Liang (1143-1194), whose name is Futong, is called Mr. Longchuan. It is said that his works amount to 40 volumes, but only 30 volumes of various versions have been handed down. Therefore, there are only thirty volumes of Sikuquanshu Longchuan Collection, Longchuan Anthology and Longchuan Collection published by Chen. Among them, "Preface to Farewell to Uncle Yunzhou" is included in fifteen volumes. The corresponding text in Longchuan Collection collected in Sikuquanshu is: "Scholars since the rise of the imperial examination are often trapped in a day's journey or even die of old age" [6]. Obviously, the word "Neo-Confucianism" did not appear in Chen Liang's preface, and the corresponding place was "Imperial Examination" rather than "Neo-Confucianism". Based on the Qing Dynasty's Tongzhi Tuibubu Book and referring to the Ming Dynasty's Chenghua Book, Chen's textual research results show that the word "imperial examination" is also written here [7]. After further consulting Longchuan Collection collected by Beijing Library and several other traditional Chinese versions of Chen, it is found that there is nothing unusual. Based on this, it can basically be asserted that the citation of "science" in the Chinese Dictionary is wrong. It seems that the author of this entry regards the traditional Chinese character "ju" as the word "Xue" in "A Brief Introduction to Uncle Zhu Yunzhou", or is misled and mistakenly planted the word "ju" as a simplified version of the word "Xue".

Yuan Hanqing published an article in 1985 Beijing Evening News, pointing out that [2] Liang Qichao used the word "science" for the first time in 1896 An Introduction to Reform. The article "On the Harm of Political Reform without Knowing the Origin" in the General Discussion on Political Reform, which was collected in the Collection of Drinking Ice Rooms, really printed "Those who are slightly advanced say that if they want new strategies, they will learn, which can be described as knowing the origin." However, can teachers cultivate talents without learning and teaching? If science does not change, smart people should learn to tolerate everything in order to gain wealth and pursue different paths. Can they bow their heads? [8] Because most of the selected versions are printed according to this version, the words "science" or "science" are printed here. As Fan Hongye pointed out, in fact, before the publication of Yuan Wen, Japanese scholar osamu suzuki had discovered this puzzling expression [3]. Because the "science" here has become an important reason for smart people to bury their heads in "doing things for the sake of getting rich". "Later, when editing the Selected Works of Liang Qichao with Wu Jiaxun, they found The Times, which published the article that year, and found that the imperial examination was not changed in The Times, so they concluded that the word" residence "was mistaken for the word" learning "when the collection of drinking ice rooms was printed [9]. In this way, Suzuki's doubts will be solved; At the same time, Liang Qichao began to use the theory of "science" as early as 1896, which was self-defeating.

Yang Wenheng 198 1 year pointed out that [10] Kang Youwei once included two books with the word "science" in the Japanese bibliography. They are Introduction to Science, which is widely translated in Japan, and Principles of Science, written by Ji Jun Murakami [because Liang Qichao introduced this book in The Times on June 1897+065438+ 10/5 with the title "After reading the Japanese bibliography". In fact, Kang Youwei, That winter, it was carved by Shanghai Datong Translation Bookstore [13]. The problem is that the Japanese bibliography included in the Complete Works of Kang Youwei is printed according to the series of ten thousand mu thatched cottage printed by 19 12. According to Zhang Boling's Catalogue of Ten Thousand Mu Caotang Series, the Japanese Bibliographic Examination was printed by Ding You in Shanghai. In August of the Reform Movement of 1898 and the first month of Gengzi, the two editions were destroyed with false intentions. [14] As the original edition has been destroyed, we don't know whether Kang Youwei included those two Japanese titles with the word "science" in the Japanese bibliography from the beginning. Moreover, even if it is included, it is just copying other people's titles into their own works, so it is difficult to attribute the credit for using the word "science" to Kang Youwei.

However, the evidence supporting Kang Youwei's first use of "science" seems to be more than that. Kang Youwei used the word "reason" three times in the book "Please abandon stereotyped writing examination method and use strategy to fold it" submitted to Emperor Guangxu in April 1898. It is recorded as follows: "It is really the most useful energy for my husband when he is old. If he is engaged in science and talks about political discussions, then 3 million people will be citizens of the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland. " "From now on, it will be useful to talk about China literature by studying classics, national heritage, anecdotes and famous events; It is a general study to ask countries to scientifically study technology, physics, politics and religion, and law. " "Then open a school and teach science. Once the school starts, Xu will abolish the imperial examination. " [15] Obviously, the "science" used by Kang Youwei refers to the "science" in the West. Fan Hongye believes that "Kang Youwei is not only the first person to introduce science, but also the first person to apply science." [3] Xi, and basically agree with this formulation [16][ 17].

Kang Youwei's memorial was included in the draft of the Reform Movement of 1898, which was first published in 19 1 1. According to the research of Taiwan Province scholar Huang Zhangjian, there are many fake books in the Draft of the Reform Movement of 1898. "There are 20 memorials and 5 prefaces in the manuscript of the Reform Movement of 1898, among which only the Preface of the Russian Peter Coup and the Seventh Letters from the Emperor published by Shi Yinben before the Reform Movement of 1898 are false." [18] In other words, Kang Youwei's memorial is a fake manuscript, which is not sufficient. Moreover, even if Kang Youwei really submitted the self-made "Please abolish stereotyped writing, try to write a model essay and try to use the theory of folding", because the draft we saw today was collected by Kang Youwei's daughter and son-in-law Mai afterwards [19], not the original, so we can't rule out the possibility that some drafts were partially processed. Therefore, it seems impatient to assert that Kang Youwei used the word "science" in 1898.

Yang Wenheng also pointed out in 198 1 [4]: Yan Fu used the word "science" in his early translation of the Notes on the Incomplete Draft of National Planning. Yan Fu wrote in the note: "Therefore, even if the scholar is ruled, the prayer is invalid and the order is not tested, but the (non-) essence of learning is not seen, and it is not reasonable. It cannot be said that there is no cause and effect in personnel, and there is no so-called restraint science. " [20] In addition, Yan Fu used the word "science" many times in Adam Smith's masterpiece The Original Wealth (The Wealth of Nations), which was translated in 1897, published in 1900 and published in 1902. For example, "as for the specialized science taught by Chinese studies, those who get it must have the number of years set by the calendar." [2 1] For another example, "Therefore, people who were emphasized in the Middle Ages (in Europe) were all Shinto, and there were few theories about the unity of man and nature." [2 1] Yan Fu's "The Department of Martial Arts" and its annotations were written at an unknown time, and it is generally believed that it was published earlier than "The Theory of Evolution". In this way, Yan Fu must have started to use "science" earlier than Kang Youwei. So Wang Hui thinks that Yan Fu is probably the first person in China to use the word "science" [4]. However, Yan Fu never used the word "science" in Evolution, which was translated in 1894- 1896 and published in 1898. What's more, he didn't use the word "science" once when he gave a speech on "The Role of Western Learning" at 1898 Beijing Yi Tong School, even though the whole article was about Western learning. At that time, when he mentioned western science, he still used "Gezhi". Therefore, whether the "science" in Yan Fu's notes on Part of the National Plan is really written in 1896 needs further research.

Zhu Fajian believes that Wang Guowei was the first person who explicitly used the word "science" in modern China [5]. The main basis is 1899 Wang Guowei said: "Modern history is a science, and there is no system between stories." No matter what you study, you can't call it science without systematic knowledge. China's so-called history is almost systematic, but the facts scattered in the society can only be called historical materials, not cloud history. [22], because the word "science" is different in the text, and there is no date of Wang Guowei's self-publication: November 25 th year of Guangxu, and the printed copy of the book is 1900 East Literature Society, Zhu Fajian thinks that Wang Guowei undoubtedly used "science" in 1899 [5]. The question is, did Wang Can Guowei become the first person to use science in modern China just because he used science in 1899? Even if Kang Youwei and Yan Fu have never used the word "science" before, it does not mean that others have not used "science" before 1899.

Second, early use of new evidence of "science"

When did the word "science" appear in China's classics? In what sense did people use it then?

Recently, the author comprehensively searched Ge's Four Ku Quanshu and Four Series, and found that the word "science" had appeared in Wen Yuan Hua Ying compiled by people in the Northern Song Dynasty (925-996). Wen Yuan Hua Ying was co-edited by more than twenty people including Song Taizong, Zhao Ling and Liu Yun. Song Zhenzong Zhao Hengshi has revised it many times. Zhao Shi, Song Xiaozong, ordered someone to modify it. Finally, after many people re-proofread, the engraving began in the first year of Jiatai (120 1) and was completed in four years. This engraving of the Song Dynasty has only remnants. In the forty-five years of Jiajing in Ming Dynasty (1566), Hu Weixin and others re-engraved it according to the manuscript. 1966 Zhonghua Book Company photocopied and published Song engraving 140 volumes and Ming engraving 860 volumes [23].

Wen Yuan Huaying is a book with a volume of 1000, which contains nearly 20,000 works by more than 2,000 writers. About nine tenths of them are works of the Tang Dynasty, and the rest are works of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, most of which were collected according to manuscripts and poems that were not widely circulated at that time. The 946th volume of this book contains the book Epitaph of Dr. Kurabe written by Luo Zhou in the late Tang Dynasty. There is a passage with the word "science" in the epitaph, which is copied as follows according to the records in the book of Sikuquanshu: "In this science museum, there is a Baijiacang department, and the government dare not return to the ancestral temple. The sage Shi Zhousima, the father and doctor gave the son of the country, so you learn to open ceremonies with his father. In Fairchild, the examiner dropped his first book, so he was at a loss. Therefore, he was elected as a state and county official from his family background. " (The quotation punctuation is added by the author, the same below) [24] By comparing it with the Ming-engraved Single-line Book [25] and the photocopying by Zhonghua Book Company 1966 [26], it is confirmed that this article "Sikuquanshu" is correct.

Luozhou was born in Qionglai County, Sichuan Province. Its birth and death are unknown every year, and Tang Zhaozong lived at the end of photochemical period. During the Dashun period, literature was excellent and supported. The official left to fill in the gaps and speak out. Now, officials live in lang. When the Tang Dynasty was destroyed, Luozhou was an official of Liang and a minister of rites. Luo Zhou is good at poetry and prose. Three of his poems are included in The Whole Tang Poetry, and 22 of his articles are included in The Whole Tang Poetry. The word "Xue" in the Epitaph of Luozhou in Cangbu Langzhong is obviously an independent word, which seems to be interpreted as "the study of imperial examinations". It may be called the earliest use case of the word "science" in China.

From Sikuquanshu, the author also found several quasi-scientific use cases in Song and Yuan Dynasties.

For example, Jin Luxiang (1232- 1303) wrote in the fourth volume of Selected Works of Renshan, Postscript of Selected Works of Mr. Lu Zhai: "The eldest son of the first public, Huan Zhanggong, was friends with Mr. Zhu, Zhang and Lu, and his father, the first emperor, set out early and went to Cangzhou with his family. The public talent is outstanding, I have never heard of the origin theory and I am lonely. I also said that I have insufficient learning, and I have insufficient articles. I have learned from China's ancient poems and learned something. " [27] Jin Luxiang, whose real name is Ji Fu, was called "Mr. Renshan" by scholars, and now he is from Lanxi, Zhejiang. Jin is a disciple, and Zeng studied under Zhu's disciple He Ji. The "science of Neo-Confucianism" used by Jin here is difficult to understand, which is quite similar to the mistake of "science of Neo-Confucianism (which should be the study of imperial examinations, from complexity to simplicity)". After checking with the Ming manuscript "Collected Works of Mr. Ren" [28], it is confirmed that the text "Sikuquanshu" is wrong here, that is, the transcriber of Sikuquanshu mistook the word "ju" in the original text for the word "Xue".

Another example is Wang Yun (1228- 1304), who wrote at the end of the article "Rebuilding Jiangzhou Confucius Temple Monument" in Qiuxi Collection: "Born for the people, material desires move outward, and conscience covers up. It is very meaningful to be a saint in Shuo Yuan, and the effect depends on learning first. Shu is the world, down to the Han and Tang Dynasties, with obscure orthodoxy, empty words and paintings and ignorant officials. Diligence day and night, bandits don't grind, scientific heresy. When you write a book, you will be inferior to a fool and fall into despair. Saints are not born in the world, beyond the source of Taoism. The vast sky, the temple building, the order is the announcement, and Mu Mu Rui thinks that it is intended. And officials and scholars, Shang Kemian, and the plate of the palace, the end of the old and the new, the work of Ma Gong. Since this is established, the Tao is born, and it is shameful to be regarded as a sheep. " [29] "Four Series" Jingming Hongzhi "Collected Works of Mr. Jane" also has this poem imitating the Book of Songs [30]. Wang Yun, whose real name is Zhong Mou, is from Jixian County, Henan Province. The word "learning" in this poem seems to be interpreted as "discipline" and "learning" independently, and what Wang emphasizes here should be the alienation between discipline crime and academic theory. In other words, "science" here should not be regarded as an independent word.

Although the word "science" rarely appeared in China's classics in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it is not difficult to find it from the literature in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

For example, Tang Shunzhi in the Ming Dynasty (1507-60) compiled an article entitled "Expanding Science to Piracy", in which the word "science" was used. The status quo is as follows: "There were no scholars at the end of the Tang Dynasty, such as Wang Xianzhi singing chaos; Jing Zhen's followers are all scholars who came last. Covering Kyushu in the four seas, there were only one or twenty people at first. If you have no talent, you will have a unique intention to paint your reputation, and you will never look back. Therefore, the sacred dynasty opened the door to science, so that everyone had a coveted heart and could not bear to abandon the thief. " Tang Shunzhi was born in Changzhou Jiangsu. In the eighth year of Jiajing (1529), Guan Hanlin took the first test and was later transferred to the Ministry of War. There is no reason to doubt that the word "science" appeared twice in the article "Stealing from Wide Science". It is not difficult to see that "learning" here also refers to "learning of imperial examinations".

Another example is 1620, which stipulates the responsibilities of officials in the Manuscript of the Ministry of Rites compiled by Yu Ruxun and others in the Ming Dynasty: "Shangshu is also an assistant minister: music, temple, sacrifice, tribute, reception, banquet, learning, management and world sacrifice." [32] The "learning" here is obviously the meaning of "the learning of imperial examinations".

Huang Shilin's Collection of Wu Ban Gardens in the Qing Dynasty included the article "The Narration of Feng Ming Weng Huang Nianbo", and the word "science" also appeared in this article. In this article, Huang wrote: "A gentleman wants to do whatever he wants, and if he advances, he will be a politician, and if he leaves, he will be a politician, that is, he wants to govern his people. I want to use it to govern the people, but to learn politics, we should not only look at its writing style, but also its will and behavior, so as to know its temperament and efficacy. People who were tired of science at that time couldn't finish asking their questions, and they would be embarrassed if they couldn't finish talking. " [33] Huang Shilin, the word Yuntai, is from Linchuan County, Jiangxi Province. Its birth and death are unknown every year. Wu Ban Garden Collection was written by Hao Shuo, Governor of Jiangxi Province, and was banned in the forty-fourth year of Qianlong (1779). The word "Xue" in the above-mentioned words is taken from the engraving in the 61st year of Kangxi (1722), which is obviously an independent vocabulary and should be interpreted as "the study of imperial examinations".

In addition, a very interesting "scientific" use case appears in Wen's "Sikuquanshu". In the twenty-fifth volume of Poems of a Thousand Banquets in the Palace compiled by Feng Fu in the fifty-fifth year of Qianlong (1790), there is a description about Na Yongfu, a westerner who was supervised by Qin Tian: "The western part of Europe is Italy (Italy in the western part of Europe), and the six cities where I live are surrounded by the sea and the stairs across the sea are high. Kangxi paid tribute in the ninth year. Since then, he has served as a gold list, a sailing sister-in-law, a benevolent and devout person. " [34] The "four studies" in this paper can be interpreted as "four studies" or "four subjects". Therefore, it makes sense to interpret "science" here as "discipline", even if it has the meaning of "modern science".

To sum up, before modern times, the word "science" occasionally appeared in China's classics. If there are no mistakes in the relevant records in Wen Yuan Ge Hua Ying and the transcription in Wen Yuan Ge Si Ku Quan Shu, then the earliest people who used the word "science" can be traced back to Luozhou in the late Tang Dynasty. However, at that time, "Li" mostly referred to the study of imperial examinations, that is, the knowledge that Confucian scholars needed to master in taking the imperial examinations.

Third, the "scientific" use cases during the Westernization Movement.

Not long ago, after paying attention to China's literature in the late Qing Dynasty, the author found that the word "science" was written by Xu Run (1838-1911). Excerpts are as follows:

"In the eighteenth year of Guangxu, Tang Jingxing died in Tianjin Kaiping Bureau, and in June of 1878, he was found to have translated Guangxu Four Years into western languages. After reading his article, I think he is a person, and Jing Gong is outstanding. When the mountain climbs higher, the scenery will stop and I will yearn for it. The newspaper is as follows:

1June 878 Shanghai Far East Monthly: The most outstanding and prestigious gentleman in the Qing Dynasty, who followed the business of Qing North, has the following name, and his jade photo has been published in this newspaper 124. Jin Dajun was specially photographed by this newspaper. The business run by Iraqis is summarized as follows: Tang Jingxing, 1832 was born in Xiangshan County, Guangdong Province. His early education from 1842 to 1848, Daoguang for 22 years, was influenced by Ma Lixun science, and then entered the English missionary school ... "(35).

Xu Run's translation of the word "Xue" in Tang Jingxing (1832- 1892) obviously does not mean "the study of imperial examinations".

Xu Run, whose real name is Li Run, is from Xiangshan, Guangdong. /kloc-arrived in Shanghai at the age of 0/4, initially as an apprentice at Baoshun Foreign Firm, where his uncle was a comprador. 1859, co-founded Shao Xiang famous brand and arranged silk, tea and cotton business in various foreign firms; Later, he joined hands with others to open Mao Dun Bank. 186 1 year as the deputy comprador of baoshun foreign firm. /kloc-left baoshun foreign firm in 0/868, founded baoyuanxiang tea shop, and opened tea shops in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan and other places, becoming an independent businessman with strong assets. 1873, appointed by Li Hongzhang (1823- 190 1) as the general manager of Shanghai Maritime Investment Promotion Bureau, assisted fellow villagers and managed Tang, that is, Tang Jingxing reorganized the Ship Investment Promotion Bureau on the verge of bankruptcy, and later founded and marine insurance, that is, Jihe Marine Fire Insurance Company. 1883, the Sino-French war broke out. The following year, Xu was dismissed for failing to invest and misappropriate the funds of China Merchants. Later, I went north to Kaiping Mining Bureau full-time. 1889, Tang took over the Tianhua silver mine in Xiangshan, Guangdong. 1892 Rehe Jianping Di Gold Fair. 1902 set up a warp shirt and socks factory in Shanghai. 1903 to 1906, Yuan Shikai (1859- 19 16) was appointed as the acting general manager of China Merchants. After the establishment of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, he served as the first assistant manager. 19 1 1 passed away in Shanghai on March 9. (36) Xu Yuzhai's Self-reported Chronicle was mainly compiled by Xu Run in his later years, and was published by his family at their own expense on 1927. The chronology is arranged vertically without punctuation. There are many descriptions about Tang.

Tang Shuting, also known as Jingxin, is a native of Xiangshan, Guangdong. Ma Lixun (,1782- 1834) studied at 1842. 1846, his classmate Rong Hong (1828- 19 12) and other three students were sponsored by the Hong Kong business community and English newspapers to study in the United States, thus becoming the first batch of China students to study in the United States. After studying in school for six years, Tang continued to study in another missionary school. After years of western education, Tang not only mastered fluent English, but also mastered a lot of western scientific knowledge. On 185 1, Tang Shuting began to work as an English translator in Hong Kong. Then I moved to Shanghai as a translator at 1858. 186 1 year, recommended by the comprador of Jardine Matheson, a fellow villager in Xiangshan and a British businessman, Tang began to "act as an agent for banks along the Yangtze River". 1863 officially transferred to Jardine Matheson as a comprador. From then on, he began his comprador career for 10 years. 1873, at the invitation of Li Hongzhang, he left Jardine Matheson and became the general manager of the General Administration of Shipping Investment. Since then, the former comprador, as the pilot of the first official-supervised commercial enterprise in modern China, walked hand in hand with Xu Run and others in officialdom and business. 1885, Tang left China Merchants Bureau and went north to run Kaiping Mining Bureau. 1892 10 Tang died in Tianjin at the age of 6 1. [37][38]

Tang studied in a missionary school since childhood and dealt with foreigners for a long time after work. Therefore, his English expression is as free as his mother tongue, so that comprador who works in foreign firm often comes to him for advice on English. In order to facilitate people to learn English and better deal with foreigners, Tang decided to write a practical English conversation manual. This is a later collection of English. The Complete Works of English, with six volumes, was published in Wei Jingtang in the second year of Tongzhi (1862). This book compares and translates English words and sentences in Cantonese, and is recognized as the first textbook for China people to learn English. The word "English" we use today comes from the title of this book. At that time, people called "English" ghost stories or "English words" instead of "English". [39]

In addition to compiling the Complete Works of English, Tang also actively participated in the establishment of Gezhi Academy, the first Sino-foreign cooperative school in China in modern times, which mainly focuses on natural science. 1873, the British consul in Shanghai, Sir Walter Henry Medhurst (1823- 1885), proposed to establish a school for China people to talk about science and technology in Shanghai. Both Tang and Mai Huatuo have experiences in Hong Kong and Shanghai. They learn each other's language and writing. Plus their working relationship, they have a good friendship with each other. Therefore, Tang actively responded to Mai's suggestion and contributed to the establishment of Gezhi Academy. Gezhi College is managed by the board of directors. The first board of directors was composed of four directors, of whom only 65,438+0 Chinese directors were Tang. Shortly after the establishment of the Institute, it began to purchase a batch of scientific instruments and equipment from the West and exhibited them publicly for free. 1877, the college began to hold science lectures; 1879 enrollment. Famous scholars such as Xu Shou (18 18- 1884) and Wang Tao (1828- 1897) successively served as leaders of the academy. [40] The establishment of Gezhi Academy undoubtedly influenced Tang's understanding of western science and technology more or less.

Therefore, he Tang is not only a fellow villager, but also a colleague. During the investment promotion period in Shanghai, one was the general manager, and they worked together for ten years. 1885, after Tang went north to run the business of Kaiping Mining Bureau, he came to Kaiping Mining Bureau as a meeting office to assist Tang in presiding over the affairs of the bureau. Therefore, when Tang died in Tianjin Kaiping Mining Bureau on 1892, it is not difficult to understand that he was a close friend and deputy and got the manuscript translated by 1878 Shanghai Far East Monthly in June. In addition, there is absolutely no need for Xu Run to tamper with the chronicle and forge the translation of Shanghai Far East Monthly in Guangxu four years. In a word, the records in the Chronicle of Xu Run about the translation of Shanghai Far East Monthly in Guangxu four years are credible.

There is no doubt that the translation of the article introducing Tang in the June issue of Shanghai Far East Monthly (1878) was written by Tang himself, because for Tang, whose English is his mother tongue, there is no need to ask others to translate an English essay about himself. However, although Tang used the word "science" in this translation, it doesn't look like a translation of "science". If the viewpoint that "Li" should be translated was formed at that time in the Tang Dynasty, I am afraid that the practice of translating "Li" into "Gezhi" would not prevail until the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War.

In short, even in modern China, it is difficult to award the title of "the first person to use science" to Kang Youwei or Yan Fu or Wang Guowei. As far as the available evidence is concerned, Tang seems to be the first person who used "science" in modern China. Although the "science" used by Tang is not in the traditional sense, it is not like the "science" in the modern sense. After the failure of the Sino-Japanese War, the "science" used by Kang Youwei, Yan Fu and Wang Guowei obviously refers to the "science" in the West.

Four. conclusion

After investigating the usage of the word "science" in China's classics, the author confirms that 1, Kang Youwei, Yan Fu, Wang Guowei and Liang Qichao were not the earliest users of "science" in China, nor in modern China. 2. If there are no mistakes in copying the documents such as Sikuquanshu, it seems that the earliest people who used the word "science" can be traced back to Luozhou in the late Tang Dynasty. 3. Before modern times, although the word "science" occasionally appeared in China's classics, it mostly referred to imperial examinations. There is nothing in common with today's "science" except that "the study of disciplines" is somewhat similar. 4. According to the data, Tang, a famous entrepreneur and English translator in the late Qing Dynasty, seems to be the first person to use "science" in modern China.

(Remarks: Professor Han Zenglu, Chairman of the Science and Technology Methodology Committee of China Dialectics Research Association, selflessly passed on his accumulated experience of consulting ancient documents to the author, which played a positive role in the smooth completion of this paper. Thank you! )

Zhou Cheng (1964-), male, from Zongyang, Anhui Province, Ph.D., Department of Interdisciplinary Science, University of Tokyo, and associate professor of Peking University Science and Social Research Center. His main research interest is the social history of science.

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