question 1: where did the four great inventions come from?
The People's Education Press's compulsory three names of high school history quoted this famous saying of Marx:
gunpowder, compass and printing-these are the three great inventions that foreshadow the arrival of bourgeois society. Gunpowder blew the knight class to pieces, the compass opened the world market and established a colony, while printing became a tool of Protestantism, a means of scientific rejuvenation in general, and the most powerful lever to create the necessary premise for spiritual development.
-(Germany) Marx's Machine, Natural Forces and the Application of Science
It is easy for students to think that the four great inventions were put forward by Marx by virtue of this passage. In fact, what Marx said here is only three great inventions, and there is no papermaking. Therefore, teachers should still supplement the information. During World War II, Joseph Needham, a famous British expert in the history of science, demonstrated the "Four Great Inventions", which played an inspiring role in the Anti-Japanese War. Joseph Needham's research on the history of science and technology in China had the greatest influence. This is the most systematic exposition of the four great inventions, which is well known in China. But before Joseph Needham and Marx, many people still mentioned these contents. For example,
China people's invention genius has been manifested in many aspects for a long time. China's three great inventions (navigation compass, printing and gunpowder) provided extraordinary impetus to the development of European civilization.
-(British) maddox
(printing, gunpowder, compass, papermaking) These four inventions have changed the whole face and situation of things all over the world: the first and fourth are in the academic field, the second is in the war field, and the third is in the navigation field.
-(British) Francis Bacon
Who was the first to put forward the four or three great inventions? Now it is difficult to verify. But it must be. This is an understanding that has been widely circulated in Europe since the Renaissance. Whether it is four or three is just a question of whether it is papermaking. This is a different perspective summarized by different scholars, and there is no essential difference.
question 2: from which angle did the four great inventions start?
This requires students to carefully analyze the above information. It is not difficult to find that the key words are "these are the three great inventions that foreshadow the arrival of bourgeois society", "they provide extraordinary impetus to the development of European civilization" and "they have changed all the faces and situations of things around the world", which shows that these inventions have influenced the European world. "The stone wall of the aristocratic castle that had been impregnable before could not withstand the citizens' artillery, and the citizens' bullets penetrated the knight's armor. The rule of the nobility perished with the noble cavalry in armor. With the development of capitalism, new elite artillery was made in European factories, equipped with powerful fleets, and set sail to conquer new colonies. " According to Marx and Engels, gunpowder destroyed the knight class, printing was called the driving factor of the Renaissance and the spread of Protestantism, and the compass promoted the great geographical discovery, all of which were closely related to the decline of feudal nobles in Europe, the gradual growth and maturity of the bourgeoisie in politics, economy and culture, and an important driving force for world integration and the modernization of human civilization. Europeans praise them because amazing changes have taken place in Europe.
in fact, the four great inventions spread eastward to Japan and Korea. It spread westward to West Asia and North Africa, and then to Europe. But why haven't other countries in Asia and Africa seen such enthusiastic praise for the four great inventions? Asia and Africa have not changed much because of the four great inventions. What does this mean? Undoubtedly, the factors of modernization have already occurred in Europe, and the four great inventions have contributed to it.
question 3: why didn't silk porcelain count among the four great inventions?
Based on the above discussion, it is not difficult for students to answer, because silk tea has not promoted social change in Europe. Yes, but not exactly. Europe is extremely dependent on China's silk, porcelain, tea and spices, which has been the case since ancient times. Silk and porcelain are hot luxuries cherished by the nobles in Europe since ancient times. Europeans have to drink tea to get tired of eating meat and use spices to preserve meat. It can be said that these luxuries have greatly changed their lives. One of the incentives for the opening of new air routes is that Ottoman Turkey blocked ancient trade routes, and Europeans have to find another way. Isn't the outbreak of the Boston Tea Party in the North American War of Independence a dispute of interest caused by selling China's tea? Silk, porcelain, tea and spices cannot be said to have nothing to do with the changes in Europe.
how do you describe it? What is the difference between the changes brought to Europe by silk, porcelain, tea and spices and those brought about by the four great inventions? Silk, porcelain, tea and spices are true breakthroughs in science and technology, but this technology only improves the quality of luxury goods, and its function can not directly bring about a great leap in productivity and great progress in human history; The functions of the four great inventions are closely tied to the direction of historical progress and the new economic factors and class factors. The former is only the product of farming civilization; Although the latter is the product of farming civilization, it transcends farming civilization itself.