If science fiction is to imply a response to scientific knowledge, research into its history requires the epistemological context provided by studies of scientific history. This lecture revolves around the history of science in the late Qing Dynasty, initially exploring the spread of Western science during this period and its assimilation by Chinese intellectuals and the broader populace. The discussion then turns to seismology and epidemiology, illustrating the adaptation of traditional Chinese cosmology with scientific ideas introduced from the Christian West. A synthetic and eclectic understanding of the universe emerged, shedding the dependency upon the divine found in both cultures' religions. With the change of view on Tian (cosmos, heaven), disenchanted doctrines of Di (earth) and Ren (human) were developed.

Monthly workshops will follow the lecture series, dedicated to annotating The New Story of the Stone (1905) and Flowers in the Mirror (1828). Prospective participants must apply and will be honored for their contributions. Application details will be announced on RAM's WeChat account.

Speaker:

Zhang Hongbin is an Associate Professor at the School of Humanities, Shanghai Normal University. His research focuses on the intellectual and cultural history of modern China. He is the author of Disenchantment: Heaven-Mankind Interaction, Modern Science and the Transmutation of Cosmology in the Late Qing Dynasty (2021).

如果说科幻创作意味着对特定科学知识体系的回应，那么科幻史研究就需要科学史研究提供其认识论语境。本场讲座围绕晚清科学史展开，首先梳理西方近代科学经由何种人群、机构、媒体在晚清中国传播，以及其被晚清知识分子与民众接受的过程。随后，讲者以地震与疾疫学说为例，考察传统中国宇宙观如何承受基督教西方的科学新知、与之斡旋。一种对世界的综合的、折衷的理解从中诞生，逐渐脱离对东西方宗教中神圣存在的依赖，在“天变”的背景下催化出祛魅的“地”学和“人”学。

系列讲座结束后，本项目将围绕《新石头记》（1905）和《镜花缘》（1828）组织月度的文本注释工作坊。工作坊采取申请制并提供津贴，申请详情请查阅上海外滩美术馆微信公众号。

讲者：

张洪彬，上海师范大学人文学院副教授，研究方向为中国近现代思想文化史。著有《祛魅：天人感应、近代科学与晚清宇宙观念的嬗变》。