明清之际的王夫之,是中国古代杰出的唯物主义哲学家。时下王夫之哲学的研究者,都注意到他的哲学成就同当时中国传统科学的密切关系。但是,很少有人提及他在对待西方科学上的失误。明清之际的自然科学,同以往历史时期的一个显著区别,是耶稣会传教士传入了某些西方科学技术。西方当时正处于科学革命的时代,自然科学正“大踏步地前进”(恩格斯语),超越了曾经长期居于世界领先地位的中国。不妨说这是西方科学革命向中华民族提出的第一次挑战。传教士带来的望远镜、世界地图、奇技异巧以及数理化书籍等,便凝聚着这一挑战的信息。王夫之对此并非毫无感受,但他却未能正确地回答这一挑战。 Wang Fuzhi at the time of the Ming and Qing Dynasties was an outstanding materialist philosopher in ancient China. Nowadays, researchers in the philosophy of Wang Fu have noticed the close relationship between his philosophical achievements and the traditional Chinese science of that time. However, few people mentioned his treatment of Western science mistakes. One notable difference between the Ming and Qing Dynasties natural sciences and the historical periods in the past was the introduction of certain Western science and technology by Jesuit missionaries. The West was in the era of scientific revolution. Natural science was “marching forward” (Engels) and surpassing China, once a long-time world leader. It can be said that this is the first challenge presented by the Western scientific revolution to the Chinese nation. Missionaries brought telescopes, world maps, magical powers, and mathematical books, etc., to gather the message of this challenge. Wang Fuzhi did not feel anything about it, but he failed to answer the challenge correctly.