From this film to Needham and his history of Chinese science and technology

Sigurd 2022-09-28 22:43:44

The power of Christianity laid the foundation for the darkness of the Middle Ages, and the development of science and technology basically came to a standstill. It was not until the later Reformation and Renaissance that the entire Western technology and culture developed by leaps and bounds.
In our history textbooks, we always see a point, how many years so-and-so technology is ahead of the West, sadly, China in the real world has to learn everything from the West in terms of technology. In the early 20th century, a Cambridge student chemist was deeply attracted by Chinese culture and decided to study Sinology. He discovered a peculiar phenomenon. The development of science and technology in ancient China was basically at a standstill after the Song Dynasty. This research took several decades, and he wrote the masterpiece "History of Science and Technology in China" (of course, I have no ability to put this masterpiece. finished reading). In this book, what is found is basically the same as what this film is about to talk about.
Whether it is modern western civilization or eastern civilization (if it must be divided into east and west, not north and south), we all have our own fetters and move forward in twists and turns.

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Agora quotes

  • Heladius Dignitary: The majority of us here... have accepted Christ. Why not the rest of you? It's only a matter of time and you know it.

    Hypatia: Really? It is just a matter of time?... As far as I am aware, your God has not yet proved himself to be more just or more merciful than his predecessors. Is it really just a matter of time before I accept your faith?

    Heladius Dignitary: Why should this assembly accept the council of someone who admittedly believes in absolutely nothing?

    Hypatia: I believe in philosophy.

  • Hypatia: Ever since Plato, all of them - Aristarchus, Hipparchus, Ptolemy - they have all, all, all tried to reconcile their observations with circular orbits. But what if another shape is hiding in the heavens?

    Davus: Another shape? Lady, there is no shape more pure than the circle; you taught us that.

    Hypatia: I know, I know, but suppose - just suppose! - the purity of the circle has blinded us from seeing anything beyond it! I must begin all over with new eyes. I must rethink everything!... What if we dared to look at the world just as it is. Let us shed for a moment every preconceived idea - what shape would it show us?