增强自主创新能力与古人精神信念的局限性

中国古人的精神世界气宇轩昂卓然不凡，它是历代有识之士的精神营养，也是今天知识分子投身科技创新的精神动力。我们也应该看到中国古人精神信念的不足与局限。这种消极方面在今天仍值得警惕。古人精神信念中的不足，首先是追求信念过于关注现实，因而社会行为中缺少了探索客观真理的动机；其次是人生信念过于世俗，因而社会行为中缺少了超越性追求；第三是处世信念过于圆滑，因而思想和行为中缺少了独立性。这三个不足，曾妨碍了中国古代的科技发展。以史为镜，方能明得失、知兴替、与时俱进。

Improving Independent Innovation Capability and the Limitations of Our Ancestors'Spiritual Concepts

The spiritual concepts of our ancestors, elegant, refined and unique, are the nutrients for the men of insight throughout the history as well as the spiritual fuel for contemporary intellectuals to engage in technological innovation. However, we shall understand the defects and limitations of our ancestors' spiritual concepts, which we have to be conscious of. First of all, our ancestors pay more attention to social realities and consequently there is inadequate motivation to seek the truth. Secondly, the extremely secular beliefs result in the lack of forward-looking pursuits in their social behaviors. Finally the sophistication of their social behaviors robs the independence of their ideas and acts. A clear understanding of these three defects, which have hindered the technological development of ancient China, can help us to draw some lessons from history and march with the times.