Mei Jianjun
Technol Cult. 2019;60(2):594-603. doi: 10.1353/tech.2019.0039.
In this essay, I reflect on Joseph Needham's intellectual heritage, its impact on understanding the world history of knowledge circulation, and its broad influence on generations of scholars. I present two case studies of paktong and iron/steel to show what Needham himself achieved and what recent progress has been made, highlighting the change of research paradigm from a patriotic or nationalistic approach to a global history approach. I argue that Needham's work still sets a marker for ongoing research in many respects and that, especially, his cross-culturally comparative approach to global circulations of knowledge and technology remains of deep relevance to contemporary scholars.
在本文中,我思考了李约瑟的学术遗产、其对理解世界知识传播史的影响以及对几代学者的广泛影响。我呈现了关于白铜和钢铁的两个案例研究,以展示李约瑟本人所取得的成就以及近期所取得的进展,强调研究范式从爱国主义或民族主义方法向全球史方法的转变。我认为,李约瑟的著作在许多方面仍然为正在进行的研究树立了一个标杆,特别是他对知识和技术全球传播的跨文化比较方法,对当代学者仍然具有深远的相关性。