Morningcalm
Keeper of Records
I think Silla's Golden Age saw much advancement in astronomy and mathematics, and these were important in their society which had a shade more superstition than we. The astronomical observations and unique star charts made by Silla scientists and the creation of a science center in Gyeongju were not imported from the Chinese. https://www.ancient.eu/amp/1-15320/ Other advancements are detailed here: https://books.google.ch/books?id=GzjpCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA504&lpg=PA504&dq=silla+science+history&source=bl&ots=nHWRAmvQ-K&sig=PVMcZrfw_IFPeN9JeweGez-ZHCA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj_2N6dw7rZAhUMuBQKHX5HDXMQ6AEwA3oECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=silla science history&f=falseSilla, like the other Korean kingdoms profited greatly from the transfer of Chinese technology in the first few centuries after Christ. The Korean peninsula was heavily Sinicized and reliant on Chinese technology. What remarkable scientific discoveries can Silla lay claim to? Architecture that was brought over from China? Astronomy and calendar making that was imported from China? A tower that hasn't fallen down yet and no one is really sure what it was used for?
A brief interlude of a golden age where sciences flourished under Sejong was quickly snuffed out by poor government and a rigid and technology repressing social order. It was really just a blip on the radar, an exception to the rule.
While Japan received a lot of its technology before the modern era from Korea via China, is that really an argument for a Scientific powerhouse Korea? By that logic, Japan should be a scientific powerhouse based on it bringing Western technology to Korea. Neither of those make sense. Being a conduit for technology is not a valid argument for scientific prowess. China brought Civilization to Korea, Korea brought civilization to Japan and Japan brought modern civilization to Korea.
https://books.google.ch/books?id=9sawofv6lJsC&pg=PR17&lpg=PR17&dq=silla+science+history&source=bl&ots=3r5CrJ1iNM&sig=SvtPJbSKE2aGxX9D_oOdsTD028Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj_2N6dw7rZAhUMuBQKHX5HDXMQ6AEwBHoECAQQAQ#v=onepage&q=silla science history&f=false
And your point that Cheomseongdae's purpose is somehow not understood rings hollow. Scholarly consensus is that it was an astronomical observatory and fringe theories as to its purpose (whether from the 1920s or other) that are no longer popular do not support your point in that regard.
If anything, the Koreans, as any smart scientist or historian ought, used what was known and developed further to advance their understandings. Simply not being the first to discover or do something doesn't mean you're not innovative or scientific focused. Similarly, I hardly know of anything in the Carolingian Renaissance (or the Renaissance itself as we know if) that didn't come in some form from something earlier, yet that doesn't mean there was a lack of innovation.
The brief Golden Age was true of Georgia and Scotland as well, and many other civs, so that's again neither here nor there. Korea as portrayed with all their medieval era bonuses led by medieval scientific leaders Seondeok and Sejong = makes sense for them to be scientific. Frankly Spain's conquest of the New World was also the "exception to the rule" of Spanish history, but here we are with many Spanish Civ designs in Civ revolving around conquistadors, gold and military bonuses with allusions to colonial aspirations.
As earlier discussed, my basis for pointing out Korea's bonuses are not historically inaccurate are tied as much to military technology as the Japanese being heavily influenced by Korean printing technology.
And by your logic, Japan shouldn't get industrial bonuses given that many of its innovations in the Meiji Restoration period grew from ideas and technology originally made in the West. Innovation and science bonuses aren't always tied to simply being "first". Otherwise only Sumeria and China would get science bonuses.
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