The narrative that the “four great inventions” of ancient China – paper, printing, gunpowder, and the compass – changed the world, has been one of the most recognized tropes about China since the 16th century. Originating in Renaissance Europe, it was taken up by Francis Bacon and his contemporaries to express the idea that through invention, mankind could surpass the ancients. As Europeans became more convinced of their Chinese origin, this narrative shifted to one of European genius versus Chinese failure in developing modern science. Surprisingly, during the early twentieth-century this Western-born narrative migrated to China, where it became the most famous topic in the history of science. My research shows how the writing and dissemination of the “great inventions” narrative was shaped by the emerging spheres of nationalist politics, modern education and the commercial publishing industry in twentieth century China. Why did the narrative of the “great inventions” take root in modern China? How was it retold to serve the very different political aims of the iconoclasts, conservatives, and communists seeking to transform their country? How was it disseminated in popular culture? This presentation will sketch an intellectual and cultural biography of the “great inventions” from Renaissance Europe to twenty-first-century China, showing how it enabled intellectuals from Bacon to Mao to portray science and technology as a central force in world history, and therefore, the keys to national wealth and power.
