The Review of Korean Studies
- P-ISSN1229-0076
- E-ISSN2773-9351
- SCOPUS, ESCI
ISSN : 1229-0076
A Comparison of Korean and Japanese Scholars’ Attitudes toward Newtonian Science
Abstract
This article observes how Newtonian science was interpreted by two intellectuals from Korea and Japan who encountered it for the first time in their respective countries. In their responses, Korea’s Choe Hangi and Japan’s Shizuki Tadao displayed both similarities and differences. First, they are similar because they interpreted Newtonian science using traditional East Asian gi theory. Universalism and materialism of gi functioned as a common intellectual basis for premodern intellectuals of East Asia. Despite their common gi-based foundation, their thoughts on natural philosophy, as expressed through their interpretations of Newtonian science,display differences. Choe Hangi built a gi philosophy of his own using only gi theory. Devising a gi mechanism, Choe ultimately discarded Newtonian physics. In his gihak, the supranatural God was not recognized and all phenomena of nature were explained using only his mechanics of gi. Shizuki Tadao also attempted to interpret Newtonian science by applying the theory of gi. He denied the concept of a vacuum, and sought to explain the source and mechanism of gravity through gi. He did not,however, exhaustively pursue the theory and philosophy of gi as did Choe Hangi. Accepting the perspective of Newtonian science, Shizuki Tadao recognized the origin of gravity as unknowable. Then, Shizuki could not deduce the standard of morals and ethics of the humanity from the principles of nature and had to acknowledge the supranatural God as the creator and ruler of nature. The Newtonian science these two East Asian intellectuals understood was not the Newtonian science of the West. In premodern East Asia,Newtonian science was a context dependent knowledge, meaning its place was dependent upon specific historical and cultural contexts.
- keywords
- Newtonian science, gi, gravity, supranatural god, imponderable fluid
Reference
Choe, Hangi. 1834a. Chucheukrok 推測錄 (Documents on Inference). Vol. 1 of Jeungbo myeongnamru chongseo (JBMNNCS) 增補明南樓叢書 (Expanded Collection of Choe Hangi’s Writings). 5 vols. Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University Press. 2002.
Choe, Hangi. 1834b. Singitong 神氣通 (Penetration of Supernatural Qi). Vol. 1 of Jeungbo myeongnamru chongseo (JBMNNCS) 增補明南樓叢書 (Expanded Collection of Choe Hangi’s Writings). 5 vols. Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University Press. 2002.
Choe, Hangi. 1857. Gihak 氣學 (Study of Qi). Vol. 5 of Jeungbo myeongnamru chongseo (JBMNNCS) 增補明南樓叢書 (Expanded Collection of Choe Hangi’s Writings). 5 vols. Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University Press. 2002.
Choe, Hangi. 1860. Unhwa cheukheom 運化測驗 (Investigation of Dynamic Change). Vol. 5 of Jeungbo myeongnamru chongseo (JBMNNCS) 增補明南樓叢書 (Expanded Collection of Choe Hangi’s Writings). 5 vols. Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University Press. 2002.
Choe, Hangi. ca.1860. Myeongnamru surok 明南樓隨錄 (Essay of Choe Hangi). Vol. 5 of Jeungbo myeongnamru chongseo (JBMNNCS) 增補明南樓叢書 (Expanded Collection of Choe Hangi’s Writings). 5 vols. Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University Press. 2002.
Choe, Hangi. 1866. Singi cheonheom 身機踐驗 (Practical Experience of Physical Mechanism). Vol. 1 of Jeungbo myeongnamru chongseo (JBMNNCS) 增補明南樓叢書 (Expanded Collection of Choe Hangi’s Writings). 5 vols. Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University Press. 2002.
Choe, Hangi. 1867. Seonggi unhwa 星氣運化 (Dynamic Change of Stellar Qi). Vol. 5 of Jeungbo myeongnamru chongseo (JBMNNCS) 增補明南樓叢書 (Expanded Collection of Choe Hangi’s Writings). 5 vols. Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University Press. 2002.
Choe, Hangi. 1868. Seungsun samu 承順事務 (Affairs of Successive Following). Vol. 5 of Jeungbo myeongnamru chongseo (JBMNNCS) 增補明南樓叢書 (Expanded Collection of Cheo Hangi’s Writings). 5 vols. Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University Press. 2002.
Herschel, John. 1851. Outlines of Astronomy. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans.
Newton, Isaac. 1687. Principia. Trans. Nakano Enjin. 1977. Principia (in Japanese). Tokyo: Kodansha.
Shizuki, Tadao. 1802. Rekisho- Shinsho 暦象新書 (New Writings on Calendrical Phenomena), in vol. 9 of Nihon Tetsugaku zensho 日本哲学全書(Completed Collection of Japanese Philosophy, 1936). Ed. and printed by Saegusa Hiroto. Tokyo: Daiichi shobo.
Shizuki, Tadao. 1784. Kyu-ryokuho-ron 求力法論 (Essay on the law of attraction), Bk 2 of Yogaku 洋学 (Western Studies, 1972). Vol. 65 of Nihon Shisotaikei 日本思想大系(Great Collection of Japanese Thought). Tokyo:Iwanami shoten.
Wylie, Alexander. 1859. Tantian 談天 (Conversation on the Heaven). Vol.1300 of XXSKQS (Xuxiu Siku quanshu 續修四庫全書). Shanghai guji chubanshe.1995- 1999.
Cannon, Walter F. 1961. John Herschel and the idea of science. Journal of the History of Ideas 22(2): 215-239.
Hutchison, Keith. 1982. What Happened to Occult Qualities in the Scientific Revolution? Isis 73(2): 233-253.
Yoshida, Tadashi. 1987. Nyu-ton sizen tetsugakuno keihu ニュートン自然哲学の系譜 (Pedigree of Newtonian natural philosophy). Tokyo: Heibonsha.
Yoshida, Tadashi. 1988. Rekisho- shinsho-no kenkyu- (Study on Rekisho- shinsho). Nihon bunka kenkyu-sho kenkyu- ho-koku 日本文化研究所研究報告 25:107-122.
Yoshida, Tadasi. 1972. Hochyu- (Supplementary notes), in the 2nd book of Yogaku 洋学 (Western Studies). Vol. 65 of Nihon Shisotaikei 日本思想大系 (Great Collection of Japanese Thought), Tokyo:Iwanami shoten.
Yoshida, Tadasi. 1976. “Rangaku kanken(Narrow view to Dutch study),” Chino ko-kogaku 知の考古学 10:22-37.
Xu, Weize. [1902]. Zengban dongxixueshulu (Expanded edition, A List of Books on East and West). In Jindai lishumu (The modern catalog of translated books). Ed. Wang Tao and Gu Xieguang. Beijing: Beijing tushuguan, 2003.
Zhu, Wenxin. [1931]. Tianwen kaogulu (Records of Archeo-Astronomy). Shanghai: Shangwuyin shuguan, 1933.
- Downloaded
- Viewed
- 0KCI Citations
- 0WOS Citations