Gewu cutan 格物麤談

Gewu cutan 格物麤談 (also written 格物粗談) "Simple discourses on the investigation of things“ is a book on natural observations. Authorship was traditionally attributed to Su Shi 蘇軾 (Su Dongpo 蘇東坡, 1037-1101), the great Song-period 宋 (960-1279) scholar.

The book of 2 juan is divided into twenty categories, covering a wide range of practical knowledge, including heavenly phenomena (Tianshi 天時), geography (Dili 地理), trees (Shumu 樹木), flowers and grasses (huacao 花草), agriculture (Zhongzhi 種植), animal husbandry (Peiyang 培養), wild mammals (Shoulei 獸類), birds (Qinlei 禽類), fishes (Yulei 魚類), lower creatures (Chonglei 蟲類), fruits (Guopin 果品), melons and gourds (Guoluo 瓜蓏), food and drink (Yinshi 飲饌), clothing and adornments (Fushi 服飾), tools and utensils (Qiyong 器用), medicinal remedies (Yao'er 藥餌), dwelling (Juchu 居處), human affairs (Renshi 人事), phonetics and rhymes (Yunjie 韻藉), and "occasional records" (Ouji 偶記).

The book's writing style is succinct and explanatory, focusing on brief descriptions rather than in-depth analysis. Each entry presents observations on natural phenomena, objects, and daily life as they were understood at the time, without further theoretical discussion or interpretation. This format suggests that the book was likely intended as a reference or practical guide, rather than a scholarly treatise. It serves as a snapshot of contemporary knowledge, capturing how people of that era perceived and interacted with the natural world and material culture. Much of the book focuses on folk proverbs, daily wisdom, and empirical observations, similar to Su Shi's Wulei xianggan zhi 物類相感志. However, Fan Peng's 范梈 (1272—1330) afterword judges that the contents are too chaotic and scattered and the book cannot be a work of Su Shi.

The text is found in the series Xuehai leibian 學海類編 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編.