Joseph Needham

**Early Life and Education:**
– Joseph Needham’s father was a doctor, and his mother was a music composer.
– He was inspired by mathematician Ernest Barnes in his early teens, shaping his Christian faith and interest in other cultures.
– Needham graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gonville and Caius College in 1921, earned an MA in January 1925, and a PhD in October 1925.
– Initially intended to study medicine, he switched to biochemistry under Frederick Hopkins’ influence.

**Career and Contributions:**
– Needham specialized in embryology and morphogenesis in Hopkins’ laboratory and published ‘Chemical Embryology’ in 1931.
– He founded the History of Science Committee in 1936 and directed the Sino-British Science Co-operation Office during World War II.
– Needham proposed the ‘Science and Civilisation in China’ project to Cambridge University Press in 1948, which received widespread acclaim.
– He wrote fifteen volumes himself and collaborated with historian Wang Ling on the project, which continued posthumously.

**Political Involvement and Personal Life:**
– Needham’s political views were unorthodox, influenced by Christian socialism and Marxists Louis Rapkine and Liliana Lubińska.
– He never joined any Communist Party but sympathized with Chinese culture and government post-1949.
– Needham married biochemist Dorothy Moyle in 1924 and later fell in love with Lu Gwei-djen in 1937, marrying her after Dorothy’s death.
– He passed away at 94 due to Parkinson’s disease.

**Awards and Works:**
– Needham received several honors, including the George Sarton Medal, Dexter Award, and Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize.
– He authored notable works like ‘Science, Religion and Reality’, ‘Chinese Science: Explorations of an Ancient Tradition’, and ‘The Genius of China’.
– Needham’s ‘Science and Civilisation in China’ project grew to seven volumes and received critical acclaim.

**The Needham Question and Criticisms:**
– Needham questioned why China lagged behind the West in science and technology, attributing it to Confucianism and Taoism’s impact.
– He refuted claims that the Chinese script hindered scientific thought and faced criticisms for exaggerating Chinese achievements.
– Scholars questioned his Eurocentric assumptions and bias towards European exceptionalism, highlighting the struggle to break free from such views.

**Historical Perspectives and Impact:**
– Needham initiated projects like ‘The History of Mankind’ to provide a non-ethnocentric account of scientific and cultural history.
– His work on Chinese science and civilization, along with his involvement in UNESCO, aimed to promote scientific education and international cooperation.
– Needham’s legacy continues through his extensive writings and contributions to the understanding of Chinese science and civilization.