Wang Tao's Reflections on the Historical and Contemporary Situations of Chinese Science and Technology

Constrained by the illusive feeling of cultural superiority and the long-held notion of Learning of Chinese Origin, Chinese intellectuals in the late Qing period generally paid little attention to the reasons why the West was advanced in science and technology. However, Wang Tao's personal experience and his independent way of thinking enabled him to have a broader view and a more objective understanding than those of most of his contemporaries. This article reveals that there was a gradual deepening process in Wang Tao's perspective of Western science and technology, though contradictory statements could be found in his writings as the context varied. Nevertheless, Wang Tao acknowledged the fact that contemporary Chinese science and technology fell behind that of the West. Wang Tao is one of the earliest Chinese scholars who ever pondered on and analyzed the reasons behind it.