标签：Jiang Xiaoyuan

The Dark Forest and the Law of Evolution, Thought and Expression — Some Complaints about The Three-Body Problem

History of Science & Scholarship2014.01.30
The Dark Forest and the Law of Evolution, Thought and Expression — Some Complaints about The Three-Body Problem
《The Three-Body Problem》is indeed a pretty good science-fiction novel: the conception is very ingenious, and it also contains many elements that invite deep reflection. But given Teacher Jiang Xiaoyuan’s excessive elevation of it, I actually found myself becoming rather resistant. As an ordinary fantasy novel, whether it is Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics or Liu Cixin’s cosmic sociology, these are all clever designs; but if one wants to elevate them to the level of genuine social science or philosophy and discuss their profound significance, that is going too far. I had already made sarcastic remarks about cosmic sociology back then. Of course, at that time I had not yet read…
book reading book review civilization evolution
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2014年1月30日
A Discussion of Aliens as a Modern Superstition

History of Science & Scholarship2013.03.31
A Discussion of Aliens as a Modern Superstition
Recently, some netizens have been leaving comments on the blog discussing the issue of aliens (there were some earlier discussions under Jiang Xiaoyuan’s lecture commentary). Since his comment was placed under the introduction page Who Is Gu Bo?, it felt a bit out of place (in general, casual comments and questions may as well be posted under the message board), so I decided to open a new post and transplant the comments over directly~ Although I have already discussed this here and there in bits and pieces, I have always wanted to write a dedicated essay on the issue of aliens; it could be an essay on “science and…
science blog religion discussion
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2013年3月31日
On Communicating with Extraterrestrial Civilizations—A Snarky Commentary on Jiang Xiaoyuan’s Report

Culture & Public Commentary2011.12.04
On Communicating with Extraterrestrial Civilizations—A Snarky Commentary on Jiang Xiaoyuan’s Report
Forum on the History of Science, Technology, and Philosophy, Lecture 82: Jiang Xiaoyuan: Should We Talk to Strangers? — A Debate in the History of Science about the Search for Extraterrestrial Civilization This afternoon I went to listen to the Keke Forum. Quite a few people showed up this time; even the classroom was full. It seems that everyone still has high expectations for Teacher Jiang’s talk. Before this talk, when Teacher Wu mentioned it to us, he said that this time he especially wanted Teacher Jiang to say something “substantive.” In the past, whenever Teacher Jiang had been invited to speak, it was all rather “media-like,” or to put…
culture value human nature modernity
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2011年12月4日
Revisiting “Natural History” (Natural Science) as a Historiographical Program

Culture & Public Commentary2011.08.26
Revisiting “Natural History” (Natural Science) as a Historiographical Program
I previously wrote “Natural History as a Historiographical Program—Thoughts on Liu Huajie’s Lecture,” where I briefly raised this idea. I noted that although what I call natural history as a historiographical program differs from Liu Huajie’s “historiographical program of natural history” only in translation (I argue that Natural History should be translated as “自然史” rather than the more usual “博物学”), my conception of this way of writing history is quite different from Liu’s. Recently I chatted again with my student Wang Liang about related topics, and then I saw a conversation record between Liu and Jiang Xiaoyuan, Liu Bing, and the others about “the good should be attributed to natural…
philosophy history of science history knowledge
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2011年8月26日
Solar Eclipse and Ritual

Chinese Civilization & the Way of Chinese2009.07.01
Solar Eclipse and Ritual
When the ruler’s conduct is irregular, and the dukes and ministers are unvirtuous, when the Yi and the Di are strong and invade, and all affairs are thrown into confusion, then the sun is eclipsed.——《Spring and Autumn Wei: Gan Jing Fu》 When the ruler indulges himself and does not follow the ancients, when he acts against Heaven and brutalizes things, calamity arises and then the sun is eclipsed.——《Spring and Autumn Wei: Yundou Shu》 When the ruler’s joy and anger are irregular, when he lightly kills the innocent, executes the guiltless, disrespects Heaven and Earth, and disregards ghosts and spirits, then the sun is eclipsed.——《Liyun Wei: Dou Weiyi》 When the…
culture China ritual astronomy
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2009年7月1日
Recollecting “Political Astronomy”

Life & Notes2009.06.23
Recollecting “Political Astronomy”
Jiang Xiaoyuan’s concept. He says that astronomy in ancient China served politics: anomalous changes in the heavens corresponded to anomalous changes among human affairs, especially changes in dynasties. In particular, major events like solar eclipses signaled crisis or moral failure. The emperor had to hurry to examine himself, offer sacrifices and reports to Heaven, and even grant a general amnesty, and so on. Modern people know that celestial phenomena are objective facts; one can even predict the time of a solar eclipse millions of years in advance. How, then, could they possibly be linked to the fortunes of human dynasties? And worshipping Heaven is only an empty ritual—what meaning could…
everyday life faith tradition politics
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2009年6月23日
Keke Forum Lecture 61: Zhang Qiqun, A Preliminary Exploration of the Turn from Astronomy to Astrology in Ancient China—Also on Jiang Xiaoyuan’s Claim of “Political Astronomy,” Which Does Not Hold Up

History of Science & Scholarship2008.11.28
Keke Forum Lecture 61: Zhang Qiqun, A Preliminary Exploration of the Turn from Astronomy to Astrology in Ancient China—Also on Jiang Xiaoyuan’s Claim of “Political Astronomy,” Which Does Not Hold Up
Peking University Forum on the History and Philosophy of Science, Lecture 61 Time: Friday, November 28, 2008, 3:00–5:00 p.m. Venue: Academic Lecture Hall, Center for Science and Society, Chengze Garden Speaker: Professor Zhang Qiqun (Department of Philosophy, Peking University) Topic: A Preliminary Exploration of the Shift from Ancient Chinese Astronomy to Astrology—Also on Why Jiang Xiaoyuan’s Theory of “Political Astronomy” Does Not Hold http://hps.phil.pku.edu.cn/bbs/read.php?tid=838&page=e#a In my previous comment I took a little jab at Teacher Jiang, and I felt quite apprehensive about it; just then, by chance, I was immediately given an opportunity for “balance,” so I wrote a bit more than usual. Sorry, I forgot to bring my camera…
China science politics astronomy
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2008年11月28日
[Archive] Keke Forum Lecture 60: “Collapse”…

History of Science & Scholarship2008.11.21
[Archive] Keke Forum Lecture 60: “Collapse”…
Peking University Forum on History of Science and Philosophy of Science, Lecture 60 Time: Friday, November 21, 2008, 3:00–5:00 p.m. Place: Meeting Room, 1st Floor, Department of Philosophy, Peking University (Four Court) Speakers: Jiang Xiaoyuan (Professor, Department of History of Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Liu Bing (Professor, School of Humanities, Tsinghua University) Topic: After *Collapse*: Reflections on the Anxiety of Human Civilization http://hps.phil.pku.edu.cn/bbs/read.php?tid=828&keyword= It’s been a long time since I last wrote a comment after a KeKe Forum lecture. Partly because I didn’t attend some of them, partly because I was lazy, partly because I felt there was nothing much to write, and on top of that the forum…
philosophy book reading notes history of science
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2008年11月21日
Jiang Xiaoyuan, Liu Bing: “A Babel of Voices—A Dialogue on the Relationship between Science and Culture”

History of Science & Scholarship2007.03.15
Jiang Xiaoyuan, Liu Bing: “A Babel of Voices—A Dialogue on the Relationship between Science and Culture”
Jiang Xiaoyuan, Liu Bing: South Accent, North Tune——A Dialogue on the Relationship between Science and Culture, Peking University Press, 1st edition, January 2007, 32 yuan—☆ As soon as I arrived in Beijing this semester, I went to the bookstore to look for this book (of course I also bought many other new books). I read it as soon as I bought it, but after reading half of it in one sitting, for some reason I put it aside. Today, when I thought of it, I read the second half in one sitting as well. An introduction to this book can be found on Teacher Liu Huajie’s blog http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/485ea879010006j1. What I…
book reading culture notes Liu Huajie
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2007年3月15日
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “Sex Appeal—A Cultural Interpretation”

Culture & Public Commentary2007.01.31
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “Sex Appeal—A Cultural Interpretation”
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “Sexiness—A Cultural Interpretation” Xingding posted on 2007-01-31 20:05:58 Jiang Xiaoyuan: “Sexiness—A Cultural Interpretation,” Hainan Publishing House, July 2003 This book, just as Teacher Jiang says in the preface, is a “fun” book. Perhaps it also counts as a “sexy” book. Of course, it is somewhat unsuitable for children—at least R-rated, I’d say. I don’t often read this sort of thing, but I certainly don’t reject it; a fun book is a fun book. And online, I actually found the complete electronic edition: http://lz.book.sohu.com/learning/serialize.php?id=1370 Among the “group” of scientific and cultural figures whom I deeply admire, Teacher Jiang is probably the “big boss.” He was the first doctor of…
book reading notes history of science human nature
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2007年1月31日