The Understanding And Social Position Of Science In Open Debates

Since the introduction of science into China in the 'Foreign Affair Movement', its social position had been on an upward trend. Eventually, it had been promoted from erstwhile position of 'Qi' (tool) to the position of 'Tao' (ontology).Furthermore, in the form of scientism, it had replaced the traditional Chinese view of universe 'Tian Ren He Yi'(Human Being and the Universe integrated into one).This position was not challenged until 1990s.On the contrary, up to as late as 1980s,for most Chinese intellectuals, science, concomitant with modernity, is a goal worth pursuing. However, in the 1990s,the intellectual community was disintegrated, and the narrative of modernity was under more and more attacks and doubt. Science was not exempted from these attacks and suspicions.In recent years, revolving Fang Zhouzi, who is famous for his actions of 'Striking False Behaviors in Academic Field', and his followers, there have been a number of hot debates. Some debates are centered on the understanding of science, and the social position of science, i.e. whether or not science should play a dominant role in society. This dissertation chooses two debates, i.e., the debate of 'revering nature', and the debate between Fang Zhouzi and his followers and some researchers of philosophy of science, sociology of science. In the first debate, the participants were concerned with the meaning of 'reverence', whether or not can science be struggled against, the relationship between science and human being, science and nature. The latter one was preoccupied with the social position of science(the relationship between science and other social fields),whether or not philosophy of science and other knowledge about science can become a legitimate norm of science, the means and position of scientific promulgation.The conclusion is the fact that the hegemony of science has been impacted greatly. To some extent, in some intellectuals and some part of the public, this hegemony no longer exists. Moreover, there is no longer an understanding of science which is superior to other kinds of understanding. Different understandings coexist.