Beyond The ’Productive Force Technological View’

Why was China overtaken by the West in science and technology,despite its ancient successes? This hypothesis was studied by Joseph Needham, which is known as the "Needham Question". The "Needham Question" reveals that traditional Chinese society had been experienced a scientific progress,but this was greatly overtaken by modern science after the Renaissance in Europe. In the era with rapid science and technology development, technology has insinuated itself into every sphere of human activity and became a decisive force of social society. Therefore, science and technology determine the deduction of Chinese mainstream science and technology view. Since 1949,"science and technology are productive forces" has been the core of Chinese science and technology view. In 1988,Deng Xiaoping’s pointed out "science and technology are primary productive forces", which has been determined as the guidance to set up Today’s technological view. In this paper,the author defines "productive force technological view" as Chinese modern mainstream science and technology view. Productive force technological view has significantly contributed to improvements of peoples’ living qualities. Apart from the benefits, productive force technological view has limitations.Because the science and technical has a fault, which technology instead of scientific thought and technicism is major part in the science and technology, making our country attache importance to the achievement of technology and ignore scientific study.In order to to the comprehensive development in our country,we’re rebuilding mainstream science technology in our country. To continue to develop and deepen science technology productivity,towards a more comprehensive and higher levels of new mainstream science.Based on "The Needham Question" and the development of Chinese science and technology,this paper concludes the characterizations,contributions,and disadvantages of productive force technological view. Moreover, this paper proposes the reconstruction of Chinese mainstream science and technology view.Part I discusses "The Needham Question" by first introducing "The Needham Question",then reviewing the evaluations and critiques from other scholars.Part II demonstrates the deduction of Chinese historical science and technology,starting with the concept of science,technology,and science and technology view, as well as the relationship between science and technology. Then indicates the mainstream of Chinese science and technology view is productive force technological view. This part consists of three perspectives:first, the achievements of ancient China were advanced than the West; second, Chinese modern science was overtaken by West; third,the mainstream technological view of modern China is productive force technological view.Part III evaluates Chinese productive force technological view by summarizing features,contributions,and disadvantages of productive force technological view. Even though productive force technological view has an significant implication, the theory still has limitations.Part IV highlights the reconstruction of Chinese mainstream science and technology view, which compensates the limitation of Chinese mainstream science and technology view.