A Nguyễn Dynasty period text written described as "Phạm Quang Sán’s Social Darwinist Call to Restore Ancient Ways" which claims that Western progress has its origins in Ancient Chinese thinking. Likely Phạm Quang Sán didn't believe any of this but he used to text to attempt to convince "old school" Nguyễn Dynasty mandarins to adopt Western modern technology and education. 
<p>Public domain text from the book:
</p><p>泰西諸國，電學重學化學礦學光學聲學，與夫天文地理，算法機器，莫不各造其極。其源流有可攷歟。有謂中國為西學之祖，於何可證。自今視之，何以相形見絀，有志新學者，如何而可。
</p><p>泰西自十八世紀以來，文化驟進，新理日出，幾有各造其極。然有學術之結果，必有學術之造因。談所新學者，不可不溯其遠因也。試原原本本而觀之，美人福蘭課倫騐乾電之理，意人凱烈佛創濕電之說，英人造電灯，美人造電報，電學之功用著矣。而溯其原則始於希臘太利司之摩擦琥珀。
</p><p>石擊火生光，雷電緣氣而生，可以為之，非電學之始乎。凡西人所稱絕學者，無非出於中國經籍之中。所謂東亞為西學之祖，於與可證矣。夫泰西之學，皆發原於亞洲，則亞洲乃孕育文明之祖國也。
</p><p>惟墨守成法，不能推之以盡其精微，有肇造之基礎，而無進取之精神，即人文明矣，而我猶半開，人過渡矣，而我猶停頓。相形見絀，蓋以歐人得其緒，而亞人失其傳也。
</p><p>有志者可不以學術為急務哉。蓋今日之日，乃學術競爭之日也。智與智爭，腦與腦競，非競爭不能以生存。況西人之所謂新學者，實皆我亞洲所固有之國粹。即不必侈言西學也。今[?]曰復古而已。
</p>
Text is "<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:PD-Vietnam" title="Template:PD-Vietnam"><span style="font-family:monospace,monospace;">{{PD-Vietnam}}</span></a>".
Phạm Quang Sán (范光璨).
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.wordpress.com/2016/11/05/pham-quang-sans-social-darwinist-call-to-restore-ancient-ways/">Phạm Quang Sán’s Social Darwinist Call to Restore Ancient Ways. - NOVEMBER 5, 2016 / LEMINHKHAI</a>. (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.wordpress.com/">Lê Minh Khải's SEAsian History Blog</a>).</li></ul><ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/1a.jpg">泰西諸國，電學重學化學礦學光學聲學，與夫天文地理，算法機器，莫不各造其極。其源流有可攷歟。有謂中國為西學之祖，於何可證。自今視之，何以相形見絀，有志新學者，如何而可。</a>. (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.wordpress.com/">Lê Minh Khải's SEAsian History Blog</a>).</li></ul><ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/2a.jpg">泰西自十八世紀以來，文化驟進，新理日出，幾有各造其極。然有學術之結果，必有學術之造因。談所新學者，不可不溯其遠因也。試原原本本而觀之，美人福蘭課倫騐乾電之理，意人凱烈佛創濕電之說，英人造電灯，美人造電報，電學之功用著矣。而溯其原則始於希臘太利司之摩擦琥珀。</a>. (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.wordpress.com/">Lê Minh Khải's SEAsian History Blog</a>).</li></ul><ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/3a.jpg">石擊火生光，雷電緣氣而生，可以為之，非電學之始乎。Phạm Quang Sán then goes on to state that: 凡西人所稱絕學者，無非出於中國經籍之中。所謂東亞為西學之祖，於與可證矣。夫泰西之學，皆發原於亞洲，則亞洲乃孕育文明之祖國也。</a>. (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.wordpress.com/">Lê Minh Khải's SEAsian History Blog</a>).</li></ul><ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/4a.jpg">惟墨守成法，不能推之以盡其精微，有肇造之基礎，而無進取之精神，即人文明矣，而我猶半開，人過渡矣，而我猶停頓。相形見絀，蓋以歐人得其緒，而亞人失其傳也。</a>. (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.wordpress.com/">Lê Minh Khải's SEAsian History Blog</a>).</li></ul><ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/5a.jpg">有志者可不以學術為急務哉。蓋今日之日，乃學術競爭之日也。智與智爭，腦與腦競，非競爭不能以生存。況西人之所謂新學者，實皆我亞洲所固有之國粹。即不必侈言西學也。今[?</a>曰復古而已。]. (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://leminhkhai.wordpress.com/">Lê Minh Khải's SEAsian History Blog</a>).</li></ul>