Recently, there has been a wave of enthusiasm for the Yongle Ceremony on the Internet. The Yongle Canon, a great book of the Ming Dynasty, was praised by many people, and some people even said that the scientific and technological civilization of the West was developed because of it. Hearing this, it really makes people cry and laugh. This statement is completely wrong and simply a misunderstanding of history and science.
The Yongle Canon, in fact, is like an ancient encyclopedia, which collects all kinds of information to facilitate people at that time to find and reference. It is not a book dedicated to science and technology or academics, and it is unlikely to directly promote the progress of science and technology. Therefore, it is completely nonsense to say that the Yongle Grand Ceremony is the origin of Western scientific and technological civilization.
Those who say that the Yongle Canon is the origin of Western technological civilization may not know much about Western history and Chinese culture. The progress of modern science and technology in the West is the result of a combination of factors, such as the spirit of exploration of scientists, the development of experimental methods, and the impetus of the industrial revolution. These have nothing to do with the Yongle Grand Canon.
It is also said that the Western powers once snatched China's science and technology books and then used them to develop their own science and technology. This statement is also incorrect. Although it is true that there have been cases of foreign powers invading China in history, they have not learned much real scientific and technological knowledge from books. Science and technology must be studied and experimented on your own, not by copying books.
What's even more outrageous is that some people attribute the achievements of great scientists like Albert Einstein to the Yongle Canon. It's a joke. Einstein's theory of relativity was painstakingly researched by himself, and it has nothing to do with the Yongle Canon. To attribute a scientist's achievements to an ancient book is disrespectful to scientists and an insult to science.
In fact, both China and the West have their own cultural and technological traditions. These traditions have influenced and learned from each other in the long course of history, and together they have promoted the progress of human civilization. But it would be wrong to attribute the achievements of one side solely to the other, or to say that a book is the sole reason for the development of a certain civilization.
Therefore, the next time we hear someone say that the Yongle Grand Ceremony is the origin of Western scientific and technological civilization, we can tell them: this is not right. The Yongle Canon is a precious book, but it doesn't have that magical power. We should respect history and science, and not blindly believe in some unfounded claims.
Let's talk about what the Yongle Ceremony is in detail. The Yongle Canon is a big book compiled in the Ming Dynasty, when the emperor wanted to collect all the books in the world and let scholars organize them into a large encyclopedia. So, the book contains a wide variety of content, from history, geography, literature to science and technology. However, it does not specifically talk about science and technology, nor does it systematically introduce the scientific and technological civilization of the West.
So, how did the modern scientific and technological civilization of the West develop? This has to be said in many ways. First, scientists are beginning to explore the world in a more scientific way, rather than just guessing and imagining. They started experimenting and using data to prove their theories. This spirit of experimentation is the key to promoting scientific and technological progress.
Also, the Industrial Revolution was an important turning point. At that time, people began to use machines to produce things, which greatly improved production efficiency. In this way, people have more time and energy to research new technologies and promote the progress of civilization.
Therefore, the rise of modern scientific and technological civilization in the West is the result of the combined action of many factors. It has nothing to do with the Yongle Grand Ceremony. The Yongle Canon is only a big book in the Ming Dynasty, and it does not determine the direction of the development of a civilization.
Let's talk about those who think that the Western powers have robbed Chinese science and technology books to develop their own science and technology. This statement is actually a misunderstanding of history. It is true that there have been cases of foreign powers invading China in history, but what they have robbed is mainly gold, silver, treasures and land, not scientific and technological books. Moreover, even if they grab the book, it is impossible to learn much real scientific and technological knowledge directly from the book. Science and technology must be studied and innovated by oneself, not by grabbing books.
Others say that Einstein's achievements are due to the Yongle Grand Ceremony, which is even more nonsense. Albert Einstein is one of the greatest scientists of modern times, and his theory of relativity is based on in-depth research and thinking about the physical world, and has nothing to do with the Yongle Canon. To attribute a scientist's achievements to an ancient book is disrespectful to scientists and an insult to science.
In fact, both China and the West have their own unique cultural and technological traditions. These traditions have blended and influenced each other in the long course of history, and jointly promoted the progress of human civilization. We should respect the uniqueness of each civilization and not blindly attribute the achievements of one civilization to another civilization or a certain book.
Although the Yongle Grand Ceremony is a precious cultural heritage, it does not determine the direction of the development of a civilization or affect the scientific and technological progress of other civilizations. We should look at history and science with an objective and scientific attitude, and not blindly believe some unfounded claims. Only in this way can we better understand the world, understand history, and promote the progress of civilization.
Therefore, the next time we hear someone say that the Yongle Grand Ceremony is the origin of Western scientific and technological civilization, we can laugh it off and stop paying attention to this ridiculous statement.