Chu Hsi (1130-1200), author of the great Neo-Confucian synthesis, exerted a lasting influence on the thought & life of the Chinese in subsequent centuries. The core of his all-encompassing synthesis was moral & social philosophy, but it also included knowledge about the natural world. His doctrine of ke-wu (investigation of things) & his official duties made him mindful of the specialized knowledged in such ''scientific'' traditions as astronomy, harmonics, medicine, etc. In this study of Chu Hsi's thought, Part 1 gives a systematic account of the basic concepts of his natural philosophy as background for understanding his natural knowledge. Part 2 discusses Chu Hsi's actual knowledge about the natural world. Part 3 examines the relation between Chu Hsi & Chinese ''scientific'' traditions & compares his natural knowledge with that of the Western scientific tradition.

金永植，1973年在哈佛大學獲化學博士學位，博士論文題為《電子雲近似與分子間作用力》。1980年在普林斯頓大學獲科學史博士學位，博士論文論硃熹的世界觀。他曾任哈佛和普林頓等大學的客座研究員。自1977年起，他擔任漢城國立大學教授，科學史與科學哲學部主任。金教授齣版過多種關於中國科學史的科學哲學的論著。

潘文國，1967年畢業於復旦大學外文係，1981年華東師範大學中文係漢語史專業研究生畢業。現為華東師範大學終身教授，對外漢語學院常務副院長。他的主要興趣在理論語言學，對比語言學和翻譯學，齣版過多部學術專著，也曾在國內外齣版過中英互譯的著作若乾種。