The
Way and the Word: Science and
Medicine in Early China and Greece
by Geoffrey Lloyd, Nathan Sivin
This
is the paperback edition. The hardback
is also available.
Book
Description
The
rich civilizations of China and Greece built
sciences of comparable sophistication -- each
based on different foundations of concept, method,
and organization. In this engrossing book, two
world-renowned scholars compare the cosmology,
science, and medicine of China and Greece between
400 B.C. and A.D. 200, casting new light not
only on the two civilizations but also on the
evolving character of science.
Sir Geoffrey Lloyd and Nathan Sivin investigate
the differences between the thinkers in the
two civilizations: what motivated them, how
they were educated, how they made a living,
and whom they argued with and why. The authors'
new method integrally compares social, political,
and intellectual patterns and connections, demonstrating
how all affected and were affected by ideas
about cosmology and the physical world. They
relate conceptual differences in China and Greece
to the diverse ways that intellectuals in the
two civilizations earned their living, interacted
with fellow inquirers, and were involved with
structures of authority.
By A.D. 200 the distinctive scientific strengths
of both China and Greece showed equal potential
for theory and practice. Lloyd and Sivin argue
that that modern science evolved not out of
the Greek tradition alone but from the strengths
of China, Greece, India, Islam, and other civilizations,
which converged first in the Muslim world and
then in Renaissance Europe.
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Reviews
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Editorial
Reviews
From
the Back Cover
"A nuanced, sophisticated, and deeply
learned reflection on ancient science.
. . . [The book] will be the foundation
for thinking about the deep structures
of the sociology of knowledge in antiquity."-Thomas
Laqueur, Times Literary Supplement
"A
climactic statement from two distinguished
savants engaging in an unprecedented collaborative
effort in probing the rich but complex
civilizations of ancient Greece and China."
-- Anthony C. Yu, University of Chicago
"A
monumental book that could bring about
a new view of the history of science."
-- Lisa Raphals, University of California,
Riverside
About
the Author
Sir
Geoffrey Lloyd is emeritus professor of
ancient history at the University of Cambridge.
Nathan Sivin is professor of Chinese culture
and the history of science at the University
of Pennsylvania. |
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