Lack of Science as a Result of Cultural Precocity

Our initial efforts were focused on the quest for Chinese democracy, before the mystery of its precocious culture could be revealed; now this has been revealed, what must be first pointed out is that there is no longer a tradition of scientific inquiry. Democracy deals with interpersonal relationships while science arises from the relationship of humans to objects. Once the Chinese people shifted their focus to interpersonal relationships, they could no longer attend to the human-object relationship, let alone delve into it more deeply. Here, we will explain this further.

Though science seems not to be completely confined to the study of objects, as there the social sciences exist as well as the natural sciences, scientific study stems from the interaction of humans with objects in their environment. We can also say that science originates from human-object interactions in which objects come into existence only after humans. This is not the place to discuss whether or not objects exist without man, but objects of human knowledge have only existed since humans themselves came into being. Through man's knowledge of these objects, science emerges. Science is nothing but the accurate and systematic application of human knowledge. As previously stated, the heart-and-mind function is hesitation before action, and the prolongation of hesitation produces the calmness from which knowledge is generated (see Chapter Seven). Observing calmly, when life is no longer strenuous and becomes relaxed, we see space expanding before us and objects appearing before us. This moment marks the very beginning of the perception of objects and also the very beginning of the imparting of knowledge. What we perceive (see) then are objects, from which space may be rationally deduced. Life was not originally tranquil, but perception and rationality are the most tranquil parts of life. Knowledge comes from life; though life was not tranquil, knowledge tended to be extremely tranquil. From knowledge, accuracy and exactitude are obtained. Wait and see, and you will acquire objectivity. Science displays a tendency to follow a natural course and knowledge must acquire objectivity before it can become a science.