Bowuxue and Natural History: The Structure of Knowledge Traditions in China and the West

Abstract

The translation of “natural history” as bowuxue, originating in the late Qing to the early Republic of China period, served as a crucial link in academic combination between modern China and the West. Although this translation approach recognizes the shared historical experiences of China and the West and integrates local knowledge resources with modern concepts of disciplines, it fails to fully capture the inherent conception of bowu in the Chinese context. An examination of significant ancient Chinese bowu intellectuals and their works reveals that Chinese bowuxue reflects not only universal human experience but also unique local cultural characteristics. It constitutes an independent knowledge system intricately associated with classical doctrines, fangshu, food-and-commodities, and livelihoods. It is also a collection of approaches to understanding the world of its own existence, practical experiences, and emotional encounters, incorporating the way of Heaven, human activities, and material objects. Its humanity-focused and historiographical traditions stand out as its most distinctive feature.

Keywords

bowuxue / natural history / knowledge structure / China-West comparison

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Higher Education Press