Francis Bacon, a British philosopher, pointed out that printing, fire, medicine and compass "changed the whole face and situation of things all over the world: first, academically, second, in war, and third, in navigation; Moreover, it has caused countless changes: unexpectedly, no Sect, no empire or any planet has a greater impact on human affairs than these mechanical discoveries. "
Marx commented: "Fire, medicine, compass and printing-these are the three great inventions that predicted the arrival of bourgeois society. Fire and medicine shattered chivalry, the compass opened the world market and established colonies, while printing became a tool of Protestantism, a means of universal scientific rejuvenation and the most powerful lever to create the necessary premise of spiritual development. "
Although papermaking was not mentioned, it provided the necessary conditions for the emergence and popularization of printing.
The important position of the four great inventions in the history of human civilization: printing, compass, fire, medicine and papermaking, are the four great inventions in ancient China and one of the symbols that China has become an ancient civilization. In ancient times, China's science and technology were in the forefront of the world in many aspects. Thousands of years after the 5th century, Europe was in a feudal society. In this long period, China's science and technology has been developing, while Europe's science and technology has stagnated. Only in 15 and 6th centuries, due to the disintegration of feudal system and the gradual formation of capitalist system, modern natural science in Europe was born.
China's four great inventions were introduced to the west one after another before the emergence of modern European civilization, which became "the necessary prerequisite for the development of the bourgeoisie" (the complete works of Marx and Engels), providing a material basis for the bourgeoisie to step onto the political stage: the appearance of printing changed the situation that only monks could study and receive higher education, which facilitated the spread of culture; The use of fire, medicine and firearms destroyed feudal castles and helped the bourgeoisie defeat feudal nobles; The arrival of the compass in the hands of European navigators made it possible for them to discover America and sail around the world, which laid the foundation for the bourgeois world trade and the development of workshop handicrafts. In a word, the four great inventions of ancient China left a brilliant page in the history of human science and culture. These great inventions have influenced and benefited the whole world and promoted the progress of human history.