Critique of the Colonial Historicization of the Scientific Thought in China: The Joseph Needham Paradox.

Volume 10|Issue 40| Spring 2022 |Articles

Abstract

Recent decades have witnessed growing interest in the philosophy and history of science. This paper aspires to contribute to this field. It ctitical o f Needham's Colonial method of  writing about  Scientific Thought in China as presented in volume 2 o f his Science and Civilization in China:History of Scientific Thought (1956). The paper contends that Needham approached scientific thought in China in light of a Eurocentric, or western ideological colonial perspective. It argues that although Needham made significant contributions to the historicization of science in China, those contributions were based on the presupposition of the absence of scientific thought in China. This presupposition has been criticized by economists and anthropologists such as Andre G. Frank and Jack Goody who have challenged Needham's historiographic colonial method.  

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Professor of Philosophy, Philosophy Program. Dep. Of Humanities, Colleage of Arts & Science Qatar University.

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