I'm working on a little prolonged project involving the protection mechanism, or lack thereof, of the intangible in the ancient Chinese civilization. Specifically, I would like to have a couple of accounts from any of the reliable historical sources that show how the ancients handled their secret recipes (for example, of traditional Chinese medicine, of cooking, or of martial art). I know such examples must be abundant in our history, but unfortunately, I couldn't lay my fingers on any specific ones, based on the very limited materials I have.
Has anybody, XW, Zhili or Luhan, come across anything like that? Any help from any High Hand or High Seer here will be appreciated. The first helper will be conferred upon the title of Holy Seer. :-)
- Re: Help Wanted!!posted on 01/19/2004
i tell you this political high seer that is a prophesy from kong-ming(诸葛亮),but is about world history evolvement only。
http://127.0.0.1:10000/url=055pvv7://ggg.syrepnrbb1n.wn0/rjgu/ymv2w9ju/5/f/fk/lkz6o14.html - posted on 01/19/2004
Thanks a lot, Mr. Zili, for your help. Unfortunately, the link you kindly provided is not working for me. Could you please double-check the link or simply email me the relevant article? Thanks a lot in advance.
The earliest discussion of the exclusive right or Zhuan Li (the modern term for the term Patent) can be found in 《国语》, although in a slight different but related context. Also, I noticed that 《庄子》 carries the first documented case of the technological transfer and trade secret protection in the famous story of 宋人的秘方. In addition, there's no doubt the sericulture and papermaking technology were tightly guided trade secrets by the ancient Chinese, the form being kept a secret from the outside world for more than 20 centuries.
However, some details with more specifics about the mechanisms, and ancient notions on the intangible (or intellectual property) protection would be very helpful in formulating a more coherent view on the system of the ancient Chinese civilization.
The prevailing theory, both at home and abroad, is that the Chinese had no intellectual property system of its own. While that might be true generally, a more nuanced view should take into consideration of the cultural context within which the IP was developed and expressed…Well, anyway, to make a long story short, I believe the trade secret system was an ingenious system developed by the Chinese and perfected over centuries for the protection of the valued intellectual properties. The cultural mechanism, instead of the legal one, was the vehicle of such a system. - Re: Help Wanted!!posted on 01/19/2004
.... there is a important differ between the technology and the science,science is original thought,and technology is not.
taiwan scholar吴大猷 ever said ,there was not science in traditional chinese culture,李慎之point view is as same.
your regarding about IP that is another question,i never touch it.
i think chinese original thought is not our technology (or ip,密宗?)and is 老庄 孔孟。
i like to send the article about 诸葛亮and 推背图to you。ok. - posted on 01/19/2004
zili wrote:
> .... there is a important differ between the technology and the science,science is original thought,and technology is not.
> taiwan scholar吴大猷 ever said ,there was not science in traditional chinese culture,李慎之point view is as same.
> your regarding about IP that is another question,i never touch it.
> i think chinese original thought is not our technology (or ip,密宗?)and is 老庄 孔孟。
>
> i like to send the article about 诸葛亮and 推背图to you。ok.
Thanks for all the help in advance. With regard to the existence of science in ancient China, I tend to adopt the well established view in the western world, mainly through (and thanks to) the tireless efforts of Joseph Needham, that China had dominance in science and technology during ancient and medieval times. In an influential book published in middle 80s, THE GENIUS OF CHINA, 3000 YEARS OF SCIENCE, DISCOVERY AND INVENTION, Robert Temple aruged forcefully that the the modern world in which we live today is a unique synthesis of Chinese and Western ingredients and that possibly more than half of the basic inventions and discoveries upon which the modern world rests come from China. Although I don't quite agree with every assertion made by Temple, I am convinced that ancient China had advanced science and technology. Obviously, such a conviction is in no way related to the general tendency to derive a national pride out of our ancestors' glories. Instead, to fully understand what we did and accomplished in the past is part of process of presenting to the world an accurate and complete history that not only belongs to China but also to the world. - posted on 01/19/2004
(四)慎之同我最初交往是在1998年2月,他托老朋友华贻芳同志(解放前杭州高中的地下党员)带他的文稿《中国传统文化中有技术而无科学》给我,征求我意见。在这以前,他给我有两个好印象。第一个是80年代中期茅于轼告诉我,他所在的美国所的所长李慎之说,"现代化就是美国化"。我觉得很有见地。1989年"6·4"后,听人说,李慎之愤辞社科院副院长职务,说"不愿在刺刀下当官"。以后第一次见面时我提起这两句话,他坦诚地说,这两句话都没有公开说过,而只对一二个人私下说过,而他是到1990年才不当副院长的。可见在80年代他是象以后悼念王若水的文章中所说的,"被连续几十年的运动吓破了胆,因此还是噤若寒蝉。"
1998年2月28日我仔细读了他的文章,即给他写回信,完全同意他的基本论点,并深有同感。1985年以来,我国上下把科学与技术混为一谈,已产生严重恶果,我写过两篇文章予以批驳。慎之的文章是从另一个角度来审视,同我不谋而合。接着讨论了"科学"的涵义,真理是否中性,以及李约瑟的一些论点。
摘自:痛悼挚友、同志李慎之
许良英
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