The Scientific System and Its Cultural Environment in China
No science can be separated from the cultural environment in which it lives. Not only is science inseparable from its cultural setting, it also bears the imprints of the socio-cultural traditions of the era in which it takes root. This is true for science as a system. The cultural environment of a scientific system refers to the sum of all human cultural factors that exist outside the scientific sphere but nonetheless play a part and exert an influence on the science itself as a whole.
As the social environment for science, culture influences its development mainly in three ways, namely: as a basis for material culture, a support for organisational culture and a guide in spiritual culture.
At all times, cultural values infiltrate the choices and judgements made in scientific research, guide its direction, and influence the discovery and application of scientific achievements. If we take the example of ancient sciences, which were fused with philosophy, we can see that they were closely attached to the entire set of cultural values of the time, marked by the intuitive and dialectic thinking of the ancient philosophers. In modern times, science is divorced from philosophy and has taken an independent path. This is naturally concomitant with the idea of ‘knowledge is power’ advocated by modern scholars, and with cultural values that seek positivism and utilitarianism. The rapid spread and development of modern sciences is closely related to the new set of cultural values adopted by people today who pursue democracy and openness, and have the courage to forge ahead and innovate.
Besides, differing cultural orientations among peoples and regions can often affect the course and nature of scientific development. For instance, ancient Chinese philosophers searched for the ‘union of Man and Nature’, a cultural value orientation that stresses a harmonious symbiosis of Man and Nature. This led to emphasis on discussions of inter-personal relationships and social ethics, resulting in slow scientific development in ancient China, and consequently, a time lag in modern sciences in relation to the rest of the world. These historical facts are evidence that scientific development demands a compatible cultural environment, and in particular, development to be cocooned in an intellectual culture. A cultural environment favourable to scientific development is conducive to scientific talent and a basis for scientific grandeur; it also guarantees the making of a nation and a people who will possess a strong scientific core and an advanced technological level.
