Early Chinese Work in Natural Science: A Re-examination of the Physics of Motion, Acoustics, Astronomy and Scientific Thoughts

Contents

CJ 們 “ ρ w 們 M AU 們 t u List of Illustrations xi List of Tables xvii Foreword xix Author's Note xxiii Acknowledgements xxv Introduction xxvii 1. Early Chinese W ork on the Physics of Motion 1 1.1 The Conceptualizations of Space and Time 1 1.2 Motion in Space 4 日 A Dynamical Consideration of Motion 6 1.4 The Mechanization Movement 10 1.5 Comments and Evaluations 13 2. Early Chinese W ork on Acoustics 19 2.1 The Perception of Sound 19 2.1.1 Pitch (Yi:n, Lli 音律 20 2.1.2 Loudness (Yi:n, Liàng 音量 23 2.1.3 Quality (Yi:n，Zhì 音質 24 2.2 The Physical Nature of Sound 29 2.2.1 The Sound of Thunder 29 2.2.2 The Production and Propagation of Sound 30 2.2.3 The Phenomenon ofResonance 33 2.2.4 The Acoustics of Bells 35 2.3 Musical Acoustics 39 2.3.1 The Beginning Stage ofMusical Acoustics 40 2.3.2 Pitch Standardization and the χuán，Gδng 旋宮 Principle 44 2.3.3 Mathematical Generation of Pentatonic Scales 48 2.3.4 The Up也nd，Down Principle 49 V11l Early Chinese Work in Natura1 Science 2.3.5 The Generation of the Chromatic Scales 51 The La, Shì Chün, Qiü >Method 52 甘le}t紹，Zëng 角一曾 Method 54 2.4 Comments and Evaluations 63 2.4.1 The Origins of Acoustics in Ancient China 66 The Historical Background and Amiot's Dilemma 66 The Claim of Chavannes 67 A Needham, Robinson Hypothesis 67 The Hypothesis of Babylon, to, Greece Westward Transmission 68 The Hypothesis of Babylon, to, China Eastward Transmission 69 Marquis Yr S哎，Bells and McClain's Claim 73 The Association of Acoustics with Astronomy 74 A Single Origin versus Multiple Origins 77 2.4.2 The Issues of the Octave and the Perfect Fourth 79 The Issue of the True Octave 79 The Issue of the ‘Chinese Octave' 81 The Issue of the Perfect Fourth 85 2.4.3 The Issue of a String versus a Pitch, pipe 91 2.4.4 Treatment of Semitones 102 2.4.5 An Evaluation of the Chinese Methods 104 The Nature of the Up, and, Down Procedures 105 The Procedure in the Marquis Yr S哎，Bells 110 3. Early Chinese W ork in Astronomy 113 3.1 The Development of Calendrical Science 114 3.1.1 The Ancient Chinese Calendar 114 3.1.2 The Nature of Calendrical Science in China 116 3.2 The System ofχiù 宿 and Positional Astronomy 118 3.2.1 The System of 28 xiù 118 3.2.2 The Chinese Celestial Coordinates 119 3.3 Chén zr 陳子 and Mathematical Astronomy 125 3.3.1 The Chén ZI's Earth, Sun Model 126 3.3.2 Analysis of Sun's Apparent Motion 131 The Daily Circles of the Sun 131 TheD的，and，Night Phenomenon 133 3.3.3 Determination of Sun's Diameter and Distance 136 3.3.4 Ch臼 zr Formula and the Chór唔，Chã 重差 Method 139 訂閱 }ï，.]u 積矩 Method ofShãng Gão 商高 140 Derivation of Chén zr Formula 143 甘le C的時，Chã 重差 Method 146 3.4 The Major Ancient Cosmological Ideas 150 Contents ix 3.4.1 The Zh仙，Bì 周髒 School 150 3.4.2 The G祉，Tiãn 蓋天 School 153 3.4.3 The H帥，Tíãn 渾天 School 155 3.4.4 The Xu訊，y主宣夜 School 156 3.5 Comments and Evaluations 158 3.5.1 An Analysis of the Chínese Cosmological Víews 159 3.5.2 An Analysís of Chén Zr's Work 165 The Chén zr Formula and Its Applicatíon 165 Chén zr and Arístarchus 168 3.5.3 The Orígins of Astronomy in China 171 Biot's Work and Needham's Claim 171 The Yáo Didn > and the Date of Its Contents 173 The System ofχiù 宿 and Babylonian Planisphere 175 The Orígins of the Chinese Equatoríal System 179 The Origins of Chinese Calendrical Science 187 4. Early Scientific Ideas and Thoughts of Nature in Ancient China 191 4.1 Some Basic Scientific Ideas 193 4.1.1 The Patterns of Changes in Nature 193 The Cyclic Processes 193 The Binary Processes 195 4. 1.2 甘le Yïn，Yáng 陰陽 Principle 196 4.1.3 The Concept of Qì 氣 198 4.1.4 The...