一、序言——伟大民族的科学 最高峰:理论思维 英国当代著名历史学家巴特费尔德(H.Butterfield)在60年代初说:“虽然我们常常对自己说,西方文明是唯一在其发展中生产了自然科学的文明,我们总是忘掉了它同样以其‘历史的思维’(‘historical—mindedness’)而与众不同。古代中国在科学和工艺方面、同样在历史编纂方面都是卓有成效的。但是,她并未取得任何可以媲 I. Preamble - The Most Scientific Peak of the Great Nation: Theoretical Thinking In the early 1960s, H. Butterfield, a well-known British historian, said: "Although we often say to ourselves that Western civilization is unique in its development Produced a civilization of natural science, we always forget that it is also distinguished by its ’historical-mindedness.’ Ancient China was equally successful in both science and technology in its historical compilation However, she did not get any comparable