Another Short History of Linguistics (34)

Science could be either naughty fairy or goblin of humour. It always undermines any feudalism system. As the feudalism always need an expressing theory that never change, but the expression of science always tell it ‘We have to change’. For example what said in Bible was supposed never change. And when the Church of Rome explain the universe they took the theory of Aristotle that the earth was the favourite of God, so all other planets turning around earth. But the astronomical telescope forced them to change expression. Aristotle said that force is equal velocity multiplied by mass f=mv. Newton said that it is wrong, the force is equal acceleration multiplied by mass f=ma. While Einstein said, that not really, when the speed closed to the speed of light, the formula of f=ma is totally fault. We may understand that in the future say one or two hundred years later, someone will find fault of Einstein too. If any religion took anyone’s theory above, as their sutra, it will no different that they fell in a trap that waiting future generation to overthrown it. Another example is that the former Soviet Union leader Lenin had said, “Communism is equal Soviet plus electrification.”  Today, nearly all the world have realised electrification after the Soviet gone.

We have said that in China, since there had no one trying to use mathematic as a language to express the world. They thought the pictogram language was already perfect why mathematics?  With this idea, or we may say without the parallel mathematic language for comparison, the feudalism can explain everything. Their key solution of this issue was ostrich policy for no new theory challenge their status. For instance the sutra of Chinese medicine 黄帝内经was written in the time of Autumn & Spring (770-476BC). Yet until now, it is still the main reading material for the university of Chinese medicine doctor. That is to say, every diagnosis of Chinese medicine doctor is based on this book.

The ancient Chinese expressed force by the unit of weight. For instance when expressing a general 黄忠, it said that he could pull a bow of two 石. It was a unit of weight. A 石 is equal 52.8 kg. Two 石 is 105.6 kg. This expression is irrelevant with mass or speed and without these two elements, one could not introduce mathematics into language. And if a language without scientific expression, you don’t expect scientific thinking can spread in this cultural.

Einstein regard that any problem is the essential of solution, while Confuses said, “Ignoring any miracle.” 子不语怪力乱神. Besides this, today all the linguistic department of Chinese university don’t require students to know anything about mathematics. Although many western university do this either.