The Evolution Of The Idea Of The Order Of Nature In Chinese Philosophy And The Development Of Science

Cognizing the order of nature is the purpose of the science. It is the key of the development of science that we believe there are the order of nature and the human being can cognize it. The degree that people understood the content and the character of the order of nature and the attitude of cognizing it have great influence to scientific development. There already had clear idea of the order of nature in Chinese philosophy since Pre-Qin times. The concept of Dao, Chang, Li, Shu, Ze implied the idea of the order of nature had a development and changing course. Their contents and characters were different in the four main philosophic phases of the various theories in Pre-Qin times, the theory of interaction between Heaven and Man, Neo-Taoism in Wei-Jin times, Nec-confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties. The evolution of the idea of the order of nature in different times brought different influence to the development of science. In the various theories of Pre-Qin times, the concept of Dao, Chang, Li and so on were established gradually. But they denied the knowability and the value of the order of nature which was a disadvantage to the development of science. The lack of the idea of nature order in the theory of interaction between Heaven and Man led to the prevailing of the idea of Divination and Superstition and a departure from the objective way in congnizing nature . The departure was corrected by the renaissance of the idea of nature as law of universe in Neo-Taoism in Wei-Jin times. But this idea chopped up the relationship of natural things and denied the knowability of the order the nature as well as the various theories in Pre-Qin times. So it might bring negative influence easily to the nature research. The Nec-confucian of the Song and Ming Dynasties pointed out that everything on earth has its rule. The evolution from Dao to Li made the idea of the order of nature more specific. Those Nec-confucian of the Song and Ming Dynasties thought that they could know the kindness of moral by researching the laws of nature. This opinion made natural science had a little space in the learning field and then made evident progress in each field . But Nec-confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties did not break away from the pattern of applying the order of nature to human affairs. So natural science did not obtain the chance of independent development.