Title: | Science on the March |
Author(s): | Seitz, Frederick |
Subject(s): | Libraries --Special collections --Science |
Abstract: | Structures of Civilization
The various civilizations of mankind known to us are
characterized both by remarkable similarities, stemming from
the common problems of humanity in all environments, and by
quite remarkable differences, related to differences in culture
and environment. The differences may be of secondary importance,
or they may be so important that they determine the
fate of a given civilization in a major way.
Except for a brief period of expansionism at the time of
the Han Dynasty, coincident with the Roman era, Chinese civilization
has been characterized by an introspective or isolationist
character. It is true that the Chinese "discovered" Persia
and the Mediterranean world, and probably even Australia, and
that they entered into extensive trade with foreign regions. It
is also true that China was conquered by outsiders several
times and, hence, was subject to outside stimulus. Nevertheless,
the indigenous culture remained essentially isolationist
until the very recent past. This trait of Chinese civilization
has done much to help the people preserve unity and continuity
for nearly 5, 000 years. On the other hand, it has prevented
them from being colonizers on any major scale. One can well
imagine what the status of North and South America would be at
present if the Chinese civilization had been more extroverted
in the past. |
Issue Date: | 1960 |
Publisher: | Graduate School of Library Science. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |
Citation Info: | In F.B.Jenkins (ed). 1960. Collecting science literature for general reading; papers presented at an institute conducted by the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science, November 6-9, 1960. Urbana, Il: Graduate School of Library Science: 23-35. |
Series/Report: | Allerton Park Institute (7th : 1960) |
Genre: | Conference Paper / Presentation |
Type: | Text |
Language: | English |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1485 |
ISSN: | 0536-4604 |
Publication Status: | published or submitted for publication |
Rights Information: | Copyright owned by Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1959. |
Date Available in IDEALS: | 2007-07-16 |