The Pattern of the Chinese Past(VI)

Elvin in chapter 13 asserts that between 10th and 14th century China had created the world's earliest mechanized industry, and this was the climax of its scientific and technical progress. Thanks to the woodblock printing, the dissemination of ancient scientific texts was made possible and it inspired scholars to master old science and pushed it to the next level. The government was the driving force behind this renaissance of learning, for example the Sung government took up the task of editing and printing the standard texts on mathematics, medicine, agriculture and warfare.1 Private printing also flourished because it was profitable to print books, for example books on agriculture, elementary arithmetic and the technique of the abacus, thus making China the most numerate and most literate nation.2 In late 13th century printing using movable types became common and thus sped up the production of books. During the this period China witnessed huge development in the fields of medicine, mathematics and textiles production.3 In chapter 14 Elvin claims that the medieval economic revolution in China did not last for long. For reasons that has to be ascertained, Chinese economy was on a decline between 1300 and 1500. During the medieval economic revolution growth was accompanied by new technology. But in 1500-1800 there were no new inventions although economic somehow growth continued.4 In chapter 14 Elvin put forward a theory that in China, further invention came to a still still because its economy was in a equilibrium which also meant a stagnation.5 He suggests that in the mid 14th century, China's further economic development suffered a set back. The reasons were: expansion in frontier, reduction in overseas trade with foreigners, and changes in attitudes of Chinese philosophers towards nature. As a result of these factors Chinese people's interest in systematic investigation was 'short-circuited by a reliance on introspection and intuition. There were therefore no advances in science to stimulate advances in productive technology'.6 (to be continued)

Notes:
1. Elvin, Mark. The Pattern of the Chinese Past. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1973, page 180
2. page 181
3. page 184
4. page 203
5. page 203
6. page 204