Telegram Technology In The Period Of Westernization Movement

The westernization movement in the period of early modern in China, as a politic transformation, had encountered the defeat destiny. But during that time some certain technology introducing had obtained success in a relative sense. The telegram technology introduction is a comparatively successful case in the course of technology introducing of that time. However, there is absent of analysis by taking an approach of sociology of technology to the technology introducing during the westernization movement. In this sense, this article has a theoretical and practical significance through discussing such a successful case of technology transfer from the view of philosophy and sociology of technology.Based on the sociological investigation of the history of the introduction of the telegram technology to China during the westernization movement by the means of integrating theory into historical practical examination, this research summarized three major characteristics of the technology transfer: (l)"the power demonstration"; (2)"the industrial technology imbedded-ness"; (3)" the pattern of skeuomorphism". Furthermore the article gave an analysis to the situation of those introducing activities from the angle of view of the philosophy and sociology of technology, and canvassed the heuristic importance of that introducing course to fundamental researches and praxis on the modern international transfer of technology."The power demonstration" and "the industrial technology imbedded-ness" had indicated the difficulties in the introduction of the telegram technology during the westernization movement time, while "the pattern of skeuomorphism" had made clear the concrete situation of that technology introduction imbedded in the society of the latter Qing Dynasty. "The pattern of skeuomorphism" can further be distinguished into three types: "the pattern of skeuomorphism of roles of the subject of technology"; "the pattern of skeuomorphism of the organizations and institutions"; "the pattern of skeuomorphism of objectives of technology. It had been in virtue of those patterns that the foreign telegram technology could be rooted in the latter Qing Dynasty's society, i.e. it had obtained a relative success, which has a certain enlightening significance to the development of modern technology of the tele-communication industry in China.The precondition of the completion of each kind of different types of taking advantage of the "shell"(skeuomorphism) should have been the full obtainment and reasonable integration of the original knowledge. Therefore, similarly it is one of reasons that the telegram technology introduction in westernization movement time could succeed. The obtainment and integration of...