Wan Zhaoyuan, D.Phil.
Beijing Normal University
From Celestial Mathematician to Tortured Genius: The Metamorphosis of Newton’s Image in China, 1742–2022
Please register for the event here.
When:
Monday 18 November, 2024: 14:15 – 15:45
Where:
VUB Main Campus Etterbeek
Pleinlaan 2
1050 Elsene
Vergaderzaal RC C4.09
*Free of charge*
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Professor Cornelis J. Schilt invite you to a lecture by Dr Wan Zhaoyuan (Beijing Normal University), entitled “From Celestial Mathematician to Tortured Genius: The Metamorphosis of Newton’s Image in China, 1742–2022”. This lecture is part of the ERC lecture series ‘Knowledge in International Perspective’ (KIIP).
Contact: nicolo.cantoni@vub.be and demetrios.paraschos@vub.be
Dr Wan Zhaoyuan: “This talk traces the evolution of Isaac Newton’s image in China from 1742 to 2022, revealing how perceptions of this scientific icon mirror broader shifts in Chinese intellectual, cultural, and political landscapes. Through analysis of primary sources spanning nearly three centuries, we examine Newton’s transformation from a Western calendrical astronomer to a champion of heliocentrism, a preeminent mathematician and physicist, a pious natural philosopher, a mechanistic atheist, and finally, a complex figure embodying both scientific brilliance and human frailty. The study demonstrates how Newton’s changing image serves as a lens through which to view China’s engagement with Western science, its navigation of the relationship between science and faith, and its adaptation to shifting ideological currents. By situating China’s reception of Newton within a global context, this research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of knowledge transmission and cultural exchange between East and West, while illuminating the dynamic processes of image construction and reconstruction in response to evolving societal needs and values.”
About Dr Wan Zhaoyuan
Dr Wan Zhaoyuan, D.Phil. (2019), University of Oxford, is an Associate Professor in the History of Science at Beijing Normal University. He has made substantial contributions to the fields of science and religion, Newton studies, and modern Chinese intellectual history. Dr. WAN previously conducted doctoral research at the University of Sussex (2012-2016), focusing on science and religion in Late Qing reformist thought.
In addition to his role in History of Science, Dr. WAN has served as an Associate Professor of Translation Studies at Lanzhou Jiaotong University in Northwest China, where his work emphasised the translation of modern religious texts. Dr. WAN has published numerous translations, including Newton: A Very Short Introduction, and remains active in promoting dialogue on science, religion, and development in China. He continues to foster academic partnerships between British and Chinese historians and institutions.
About Prof. Dr Cornelis J. Schilt
Cornelis J. Schilt is research professor in History and Philosophy of Knowledge at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, specialising in Renaissance, early modern knowledge formation in general and the life and writings of Isaac Newton in particular. In 2022, he received a prestigious ERC start-up grant. With it, he started the project VERITRACE in which he investigates the influence of ancient wisdom writings on the development of early modern natural philosophy.
