Studies On Neoscientific Publishing Industry In Pre-Contemporary China (1840-1949)

On the basis of the social history of pre-contemporary (1840 -1949) China, this paper first deals with the development of scientific publishing industry during the period from 1840 to 1949, through analysis of its historical evolution, publications, publishers, and publishing agents, and the conclusions are summarized as follows:1. The neo-scientific publishing industry originated from the translation of western scientific works after the door was forced to be opened in 1840 when China became a country with a status of semi-colonialism and semi-feudalism undergoing the invasion of western imperialist countries. Three requirements lay the breeding bed for the origin of neo-scientific publishing industry: (1) the thriving of Learning for Pragmatism that laid a spirit foundation for its emergence, (2) the introduction of science and technology from Western courtiers that provided the neo-scientific publishing industry with the contents for propagation, and (3) the import of the advanced printing technology which made it possible to massively print the publications.2. The origin and development of neo-scientific publishing industry in pre-contemporary China was driven by three momentums. The first one is the strong desire of the enlightened government officials and learners who were the reforming force within the feudal ruling regime. The second one was the cultural aggression by Western missionaries who popularized western science and technology as a way to do missionary work but not as the aim to subjectively tutor Chinese in science and technology. The third one was the thoughts and practice of Saving the Nation by Science initiated by the leaders of May 4^th Movement of 1919 which is a political and cultural movement of anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism.3. The ways to the origin of neo-scientific publishing industry were absolutely different between China and western countries. Translations plaid a crucial role in and was the only way of the origin of the neo-scientific publishing industry in pre-contemporary China because neo-science did not emerge in pre-contemporary China. While the neo-scientific publishing industry of western countries originated in their own soil in which neo-science was rooted.4. The history of neo-scientific publishing industry could be divided into four stages: budding (1840-1860), pioneering (1861-1911), thriving (1912-1936) and fluctuating (1937-1949.9).4.1 The budding stage started in 1840 when The Opium War waged by British colonist, and ended in 1860 when the Westernization Movement initiated by the comprador bureaucrats of Qing Government, aiming to introduce technology in order to try to continue the feudal rule. This stage lasted for 20 years during which some of scientific readings were published. Of them, Four Continents, translated in 1840 by a group led by Lin Zexu, a high-ranked official of Qin Government, was a pioneer publication, followed by Atlas of Foreign Countries of Wei Yuan in 1842. However, most of the books, involved in astronomy, medical science, general science, such as Outline of Astronomy, Physiology, etc. were translated and published by the western missionaries during this period. The western missionary publishing agents dominated in the scientific publishing during this period.4.2 The pioneering stage covering a period from 1861 to 1911 during which three noticeable indications marked the period: (1) Many publishing agents, which were involved in science and technology, were set up mainly by comprador bureaucrats except The Commercial Press, the pioneer of the capitalist publishing agents; (2) Rapid growth in publishing scientific books that main were translated works; (3) The first scientific periodical, Chinese Scientific Magazine, were published. Scientific magazines constituted the important part of neo-scientific publishing and expanded the scope of the scientific publishing. The western missionary publishing agents still plaid a dominant role in the scientific publishing during the pioneering stage. 4.3 Flourishing stage was its prime of the neo-scientific publishing industry. Four important indications marked this period: (1) The capitalist publishing agents were mushrooming because of the suitable condition provided by the Revolution of 1911, led by Sun Yat-sen, overthrowing the rule of Qin Dynasty and founding the Republic of China. (2) The publishing agents of working class were born and engaged in scientific publishing. (3) Scientific books and magazines had begun to be massively produced and their production was rapidly increased. (4) The western missionary publishing agents had begun to play a less important role since the national publishing organizations had become stronger and dominated the scientific publishing in this period.4.4 The scientific publishing became into a standstill because of the invasion war waged by Japanese militarist and the civil war by Kuomintang. Even in such harsh circumstance, the scientific publishing in the Revolutionary Base Areas under the leadership of the Communist Party of China grew steadily.5. Both books and magazines were the major forms of scientific publications of the neo-scientific publishing industry. Scientific books cover the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology, medical science, agriculture, meteorology and hydraulics, as well as engineering and technology. Scientific magazine originated following neo-scientific books undergoing a pregnancy period (1840-1874), followed by the four stages of budding (1875-1894), pioneering (1895-1911), thriving (1912-1936) and fluctuating (1937-1949.9).6. The publishing organizations involved in the neo-scientific publishing in pre-contemporary China could be divided into five classes: such as official, missionary, capitalist, communist, and joint ventures. Each of them was playing a different role in neo-scientific publishing. Above 20 publishing organizations participated in scientific publishing, in which the Division of Translation-Publishing of Kiangnan Arsenal sponsored by Qing Government, the London Missionary Society Press and the American Presbyterian Mission Press sponsored by the western Chiristian churches plaid leading role in the neo-scientific publishing industry in Late Qing Dynasty; while the Commercial Press, the Chinese Book Publishing House, etc. were the leaders of the publishers during the period of the Republic of China7. The publishers in pre-contemporary China fell into two groups: the western missionaries and Chinese intellectuals. Although they had different objective to engage in scientific publishing in China, both promoted the neo-scientific publishing industry of pre-contemporary China.8. The scientific publishing industry had produced a historical effect on the development of pre-contemporary China, including: (1) promoting the advancement of science and technology and its application to different industries; (2) promoting the political enlightenment of the Chinese Nation; and (3) helping the establishment of the neo-culture and neo-education systems.9. The following heuristics can drown from the development of neo-scientific publishing in pre-contemporary China:9.1 It is imperative for the national prosperity and the development of society to learn the advanced experience and achievements from foreign countries or nations.9.2 The development of scientific publishing can promote the advancement of science and technology and the social civilization.9.3 The human resource is the key for the development of scientific publishing industry, and we must pay enough attention to strengthening the human resource of scientific publishing industry.9.4 The governmental support for the scientific publishing industry development is crucial factor; it is necessary to foster the scientific publishing industry by the government.9.5 Even today, translating the advanced works of science and technology to publish is still an important part of scientific publishing industry; learning from alien countries or nations and adoption their scientific achievements for application are the important way to making our country prosperous, in which scientific publishing plays an impotant role.