Janus: Papers of Joseph Needham as a historian of Chinese science, technology and medicine

Needham/NRI2/SCC2 contains:
<-- See earlier
353	Chinese paper currency and coins
354	Economic and social history: Comparison with Europe
355	Economic and social history: Comparison with Central Asia
356	Economic and social history: Comparison with Japan
357	Economic and social history: Comparison with the Ancient Near East and Africa
358	Economic and social history: Comparison with India and Ceylon
359	Economic and social history: Comparison with Islam
360	Economic and social history: Comparison with Amerindian Cultures
361	Modern Development Economics: China, Japan and India
362	Documents relating to Joseph Needham's paper entitled 'The Past in China's Present: A Cultural, Social and Philosophical Background for Contemporary China'
363	Joseph Needham's paper, 'Correlations and Contradictions at the Social Level', written at Wuyao, Yunnan, China, September 1944
See later -->

Papers of Joseph Needham as a historian of Chinese science, technology and medicine

Title	Material relating to projected Joseph Needham talk for a BBC radio programme entitled 'A Century of 'Das Kapital'' in which he was to speak on how the Marxist theory of 'historical materialism' affected his work
Reference	SCC2/348
Covering Dates	22 Dec. 1966–16 Dec. 1968
Extent and Medium	Paper

Content and context

The talk was never recorded as part of the programme. The correspondence catalogued as SCC2/348/1 explains how Needham decides against participating, despite repeated requests from the BBC and the preparation of a draft speech. His grounds are that he does not 'want my primary work 'Science and Civilisation in China' to be labelled by superficial people as 'Marxist'.

Note SCC2/348/6 does not relate to the programme, but relates to a Congress organised by the Instituto Academico di Roma, Italy, entitled 'Permanent Values in the Historical Process'.

Needham/NRI2/SCC2/348 contains:

Correspondence with Helen Rapp, Producer of the Talks Department, British Broadcasting Corporation, London, about Joseph Needham's participation in the radio programme 'A Century of 'Das Kapital'', and related documents. The correspondence comprises 5 letters from Rapp; copies of 4 letters from Needham. The related documents comprise drafts of 2 of Needham's letters; letter from Lorna Moore of the BBC, reinforcing the invitation for Needham to speak about the influence of Marxism on his work.
Creator: Rapp, Helen; Needham, Joseph; Moore, Lorna.
17 sheets; Paper.

22 Dec. 1966–16 Oct. 1967

Typescript of a talk by Dr. M. I. Finley on his experience of Marxism, broadcast as part of the BBC series 'A Century of 'Das Kapital''.
9 sheets; Paper.

28 Mar. 1967

Typescript of a talk by Christopher Hill on his experience of Marxism, broadcast as part of the BBC series 'A Century of 'Das Kapital''.
9 sheets; Paper.

28 Apr. 1967

Typescript of a talk by Isaac Deutscher on his experience of Marxism, broadcast as part of the BBC series 'A Century of 'Das Kapital''.
12 sheets; Paper.

10 July 1967–20 July 1967

Joseph Needham's preparatory material for a talk intended for a BBC radio programme 'A Century of 'Das Kapital'. The material includes a copy of Needham's paper 'Science and Society in East and West', ('Centaurus', 1964) ; typescript pages from a 'NSF applicn.' by Nathan Sivin relating to the reasons why a Scientifc Revolution never occurred in China.
23 pieces; Paper.

1964–1967

Correspondence with Elémire Zolla of the Instituto Academico di Roma, Italy, about a Congress on the 'Permanent Values in the Historical Process', October 1968, and related documents. Joseph Needham did not attend the Congress. The correspondence comprises 8 letters and 2 telegram messages from Zolla; copies of 3 letters from Needham. The related documents comprise a typed introduction to the Congress; 3 letters from Vincenzo Cappelletti of the Instituto about the Congress; Congress programme; letter from B R C Frost of the Post Office, Cambridge, apologising for the condition of one of Zolla's letters.
Creator: Zolla, Elémire; Needham, Joseph.
27 sheets; Paper.

15 Nov. 1967–16 Dec. 1968

Joseph Needham's original file title.
1 document; Paper.

1967