Abstract:

The work of Joseph Needham has been for a long time central to the history of science with a focus on China.  Because of methodological refinements and changes in the history of science and historical disciplines at large, the central premise of this work, the so-called “Needham question” has been challenged and rejected.  What are some ways of going forward?  This talk will illustrate three new promising approaches with example of case studies from the presenter’s own projects.  The talk will explore global historical approaches with a focus on geography and cartography in the knowledge exchanges between China and the West, the employment of digital humanities to map out the diffusion of Chinese classical culture, and a project for writing the history of modern Chinese science with a focus on the 20th century.

Biography:

Florin-Stefan MORAR received his PhD from the History of Science Department at Harvard University in 2019.  His work is interdisciplinary and contributes to several areas:  history of computing, history of Earth sciences and cartography, translation studies, global history, and digital humanities.  His research has received support from the University Grants Council of Hong Kong, the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, and Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard.