Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T06:32:17.563Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Connecting Heaven and Man: The role of astronomy in ancient Chinese society and culture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2011

Xiaochun Sun
Xiaochun Sun*
Affiliation:
Institute for the History of Natural Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 137 Chaonei Street, 100010 Beijing, China email: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This paper reviews the history of Chinese astronomy from the perspective of the rôle it played in establishing the Heaven-Man relationship in ancient China, which was politically and morally significant, and which in turn gave Chinese astronomy its most important characteristics.

Keywords

Chinahistorysociologyshamanismastrologypolitics
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 5 , Symposium S260: The Role of Astronomy in Society and Culture , January 2009 , pp. 98 - 106
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011

References

Chen, Q. (ed) 1984, Lü shi chun jiu jiao she, Lü shi chun jiu (Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals), by Lü Buwei, ca. 239 BCE (Shanghai: Xuelin chubanshe)Google Scholar
Cullen, C. 1993, Journal for the History of Astronomy, 24, 185CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gu, B. & Zhao, B. (eds) 1962, Han Shu (History of the Former Han Dynasty) (Beijing: Zhonghua Shuju)Google Scholar
Ho, P. Y. 1997, in Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, Selin, H. (ed) (Dordrecht: Kluwer), p. 108Google Scholar
Liu, B. 2007, Shen wu de shi jie: Liangzhu wen hua zong lun (The World of Shamans: A Outline of the Liangzhu Culture) (Hangzhou: Zhejian sheying chubanshe)Google Scholar
Nakayama, S. 1969, History of Japanese Astronomy with Chinese Background and Western Impact (Cambridge: Harvard University Press)Google Scholar
Needham, J. 1959, Science and Civilisation in China, Volume III (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)Google Scholar
Powers, M. 1983, Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, 55, 1Google Scholar
Sima, Q. 1985, Shi ji [Records of the Grand Scribe], completed ca 90 BCE, Rev. ed. 10 vols. (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju)Google Scholar
Sun, X. 2004, Ziran Kexueshi Yanjiu (Studies in the History of Natural Science), 23, 218Google Scholar
Sun, X. & Kistemaker, J. 1997, The Chinese Sky during the Han – Constellating Stars and Society (Leiden: Brill)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, B. 1960, Menzi (Mencius) yizhu, Annotated and translated into modern Chinese (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju)Google Scholar
Wu, J., Chen, M., & Liu, C. 2009, Science in China, Series G: Physics, Mechanics and Astronomy, 52, 151CrossRefGoogle Scholar