Science and Technology in East Asia. The Legacy of Joseph Needham

The xx th International Congress of History of Science (Liège, July 1997) was the first to be held after Joseph Needham (1900-1995) passed away. During the Congress the symposium entitled “Global history of science” was dedicated to this scholar usually recognised as the founder of the study of East Asian science. The symposium aimed at highlighting the significance of his research, which has influenced historians of science in their study of all civilisations. The papers presented there and included in this volume focus on various historiographical and methodological issues raised by Needham’s work and on questions which he has opened to investigation. These issues and questions are relevant not only to the history of East Asian science and technology, but also to the history of science at large, once one envisions it in a global perspective. This volume is rounded off by four further papers that are representative of current research in the history of East Asian science.