Scientism In Chinese History And Reality Of Reflection

The trend of scientism in China is the result of culture communication and importing between west and east Based on acquiescently admitting foundationism epistemology and omnipotence of scientific method in west scientism, it is a kind of creed that expands the value of science to extremity. This creed once served as Chinese authority until now it still has deep influence on Chinese economy, politics and cultural construction and all fields of society. Thus more and more people focus their attention on it. Because people have different understanding on scientism, they hold different views. In fact, scientism has essential difference with science, which pursuit truth and scientific spirit such as "suspicion, criticism, innovation". In our opinion, it is the general trends to advocate science, scientific spirit and humanism, and oppose scientism.The premises of discussion science in China nowadays connotes scientism in China has different representation and developmental condition caused by different cultural basis and historical background, although it shares the same essence and connotation with west scientism. Therefore, it has great significance to grasp the characteristic of scientism in China, to profoundly reflect various consequence brought about by value extremity of scientism in order to benefit the Scientific Development Ideology, which involves "human principal, wholly, harmoniously, sustainable development". In the light of such view, the thesis thoroughly analyzes the developmental situation of scientism in China, seeking rational transcendent pattern of scientism so as to correspond the Scientific Development Ideology such epochal main tune of our times.First of all, the thesis identifies the conception of scientism and simply traces its historical development, then from the two clues of history and logic, the main body of thesis fully scrutinizes the developmental situation of scientism in China.In the realm of history, the thesis first reveals the historical inevitability of scientism in China, as it catered for the urgent expectation of Chinese "save the nation from extinction", and identified traditional Chinese practicality and utility. Then by two examples of Yanfu and Kang Youwei, the author points out definitely that the time when scientism in china sprouted out is just the time of prevailingness of reformation trend of China. In the time of May 4th 1919,scientism established its utmost status by the activities of Chinese Science Organization and "controversy between science and metaphysics". Later all the movements of scientization, new enlightenment and new democratism embodied the practical turning of scientism. While after the liberation of China, scientism had a zigzag undergoing in the course of socialist construction. After "the culture revolution", scientism started with the argumentation on the criterion of truth has inspired discussion and reflection till today. In the guidance of humanism, Scientific Development Ideology is just the result of reflection and transcendence of scientism.In the dimensionality of logic, the thesis expounds the turbulence and penetration of scientism into all the fields of Chinese society, mainly including the promotion of scientism to Marxism philosophy during their mutual reaction; the penetration and spreading of scientism to education and vice versa; the scientization of history, literature, economics and administration in a degree, etc. The disputation between scientism and Chinese medicine embodies the traditional cultural barrier to scientization of Chinese medicine.Finally, by comparing scientism between West and East logically obtains the characteristic of Chinese scientism. Then the author points out that although scientism has had positive effects for our mental liberation while most importantly it brought about lots of social, ethical and ecological problems, we should give all-sided criticism to scientism and actively seek the way of transcendence, that is, scientific humanism that bases on scientific spirit and directs by humanism. Only by consciously seeking combination point of scientism and humanism in the light of whole liberation and freely development of human being, can the ideality be realized.