It appeared as a twisted argument such that Lao-tzu went to India and became Shakyamuni (legend of Lao-tzu becoming an Indian), and natural science in western countries was theory of Mozi which had been transferred to the west and flourished there.
たとえば老子がインドに赴いて釋迦になった（老子化胡説）、西欧の自然科学は墨子の説が西伝して開花したものである（西学中源説）等の附会説となって現れる。