Chinese medicine is scientific
Posted on September 11, 2007
Filed Under Science, The profession
There is an interesting conversation going on across a couple of blogs, Shiatsu blogger and, where the conversation began, Shiatsu Blog. The topic, basically, concerns the fit of “alternative medicine”, in the broader field of “science.” You need to look through the comments on that second post to see where the conversation goes. It’s not an uncommon conversation and PalMD effuses the standard skeptical standpoint. Essentially - Chinese medicine is not science (or such and such a concept within Chinese or other alternative medicine is not scientific) because it does not fit within the framework of materialistic science as we might read about it in a textbook on scientific methodology.
The word “science” does not mean “Western materialism.” Western materialism is a specific type of science that has resulted in some beautiful and terrible things. It has specific standards regarding methodology, it defines tightly what passes for an appropriate hypothesis, a well constructed experiment and so on. Because it is form of science practiced by most of the dominant cultures and because its practical applications have resulted in so many interesting and useful products it is commonly regarded godlike status. Why? It works.
For some things.
Chinese medicine is based on a scientific model entirely different from the one that governs the majority of Western medicine, which is governed by Western materialism. It too has produced beautiful things.
It may be true that it will never be possible to understand what Qi is from a Western materialistic standpoint. In fact, if my understanding of the concept so far is close to correct - it will not be possible. That is unless Western materialism finds a way to sweep the apparently “immaterial” world under its umbrella. I think this is probably conceptually impossible. However, some are more optimistic.
But whether we can find these correlates is simply… immaterial. Chinese medicine when properly learned and practiced heals people. This is absolutely incontrovertible. The precise mechanism for this has not been understood and may never be understood by modern Western materialism. It may be difficult or even impossible to design appropriate laboratory experiments that verify specific claims. But clinical study after clinical study demonstrates the effectiveness of Chinese medicine - when practiced with a firm understanding of Chinese medical science. I’m willing to bet that where clinical studies deny the power of the medicine or come up inconclusive we will find that the medicine has diverted from its science in an attempt to pacify Western researchers.
In other words, when Chinese medicine stays true to its roots - when Chinese medical scientists lay their foundations on the firm soil of Chinese medical science… when we as Chinese medical physicians devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the understanding of the science and the practice of our medicine (in the way that Western materialist scientists do) the clinical studies will more often be conclusive.
We need to stop insisting that Western materialism and its various theories and methodologies have cornered the market on truth.
Eric
PS: Still working on balancing my school work with my blog work. All will be well and the “All About Eric” and seasonal series’ will continue. I promise.
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4 Responses to “Chinese medicine is scientific”
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Kindred Spirits
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What is your definition of Qi?
At this point, I think of Qi as the underlying substance of everything. As such, it has more specific definitions and qualities in each place that it manifests.
To say this another way: It is both the energy underlying absolutely everything AND the things it underlies. Insofar that we need to understand things on a more specific level, we can give names and properties to Qi when it is in specific places.
In the human body? Well, as per the definition above, it is everything in the human body and the functions therein. But then we have specifics. Our organism takes in Qi from food, from the air, maybe from the sun itself? We can also define it relationally - such as when we compare Qi to Blood.
Some people have said that because of this kind of a definition, which is by no means unique to me, we should look at Qi in the way that physicists look at “energy.” Energy becomes different things in different scenarios - sometimes it is more agitated and sometimes less. When it is at one point of agitation, we call it matter and so on.
But of course this kind of description isn’t new to you. I’d love to know YOUR definition of Qi.
Eric
A great post and blog Eric!
I’m looking forward to reading more when I get a break from studying.
:-)
Trace,
Glad to have you here! I hope to see you commenting more soon!
Eric