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Philosophical thinking of traditional Chinese medicine

• the development of traditional Chinese medicine is to recognize the biological basis for the differences in individual physiological functions, and further explore the diverse and complex social backgrounds.


Basic theory of TCM, on the basis of philosophy, to borrow the analogy of the Chinese traditional academic thinking, dialectical thinking, the overall concept, with Yin and Yang, five elements, vigour, and suggests, concise, lenovo theory, to explain the relationship between human and nature and the relationship between the human internal organs, expounded on human disease pathology, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and other issues, guide clinical practice.


Chinese traditional medicine is not only a discipline of disease treatment with a complete theoretical system, but also a social discipline. It is an important "element" or an important component of the sociological system. Sociology takes the society itself as the research object, that is, studies the whole society or the local society, including some aspects, some fields and some levels of the society. Sociology tries to study the society with scientific method, reveal social law. Mr. Yan fu once said: "what does a group learn? Using the laws and regulations of science, we can observe the changes of the people and determine the past and the future. Courses graded words? The purpose of specialty development is to investigate the purpose of function, and to show the purpose of treatment. As a group of scholars, they will pay attention to the sound effects of sowing chaos, sowing prosperity, and sowing prosperity.


Macroscopically, sociology holds a scientific attitude and USES scientific and philosophical methods to study human society. It mainly focuses on various elements of the construction of society, especially the origin, development, maturity and change of society and various social phenomena, or social systems, systems, activities, relations, operational procedures and groups, so as to seek universal laws, basic principles and internal principles.


Microscopically, the "health care" nature of traditional Chinese medicine has a huge impact on social phenomena and the physical quality of social citizens. "Health care" in "shangshu · dayu mo", "zhengde, use, health care, but harmony. Kong yingda notes: "health, thin tax, light tax, do not take the time of farming, make people's livelihood warm, food and clothing, so raise the people.


So the relationship between human and society is very close, people constitute a society, everyone lives in a specific society, the social environment will also affect people, including the human body, which brings a series of medical problems. Therefore, the development of traditional Chinese medicine is to recognize the biological basis of individual physiological function differences, and further explore a variety of differences and complex social background.


Chinese philosophy, as the foundation of Chinese civilization system, its metaphysical way of thinking gave birth to TCM. Basic theory of TCM on the basis of philosophy, to borrow the analogy of the Chinese traditional academic thinking, dialectical thinking, the overall concept, with Yin and Yang, five elements, vigour, and suggests, concise, lenovo theory, to explain the relationship between human and nature and the relationship between the human internal organs, clarify on human disease pathology, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and other issues, guide clinical practice. The thinking mode of traditional Chinese medicine formed in the long history has profoundly affected the Chinese society, and also constructed a series of basic theories of the theory, method, prescription and medicine of traditional Chinese medicine.


The whole concept of TCM


The whole is relative to the part. The so-called whole is actually the unity and integrity of each part. The whole concept of TCM comes from Chinese philosophy. Ancient thinkers called "wholeness" "wholeness" or "wholeness". Confucius said on sichuan: "the dead are like the swift, who do not give up their days and nights" (analects of Confucius). Everything is like a stream, running continuously, endless. Lao tzu said, "when something is integrated, it comes from heaven and earth first. Lonely xi xi, independent and do not change, zhou xing and not idle, can be the mother of the world. I do not know its name, strong word yue dao, strong name for the big. Big yue shi, shi yue yuan, far yue return "(" tao te ching").


The "return" here is very important. The "returnees", through the "anti", Lao tzu said: "content is not humiliating, know the end is not dangerous. He also said, "it is the sage who goes to extremes, extravagance and Thailand" (tao te ching). All these theories can be deduced from the theory of "the opposition, the movement of tao". The integration of Yin and Yang in Chinese medicine, their mutual root and transformation are vivid interpretations of philosophical medicine.


Everything in nature and human society, when it reaches one extreme, reverses the other. In Hegel's words, everything contains its own negation. "Yi zhuan" said: "cold to heat, heat to cold. "Xie ci zhuan" said: "the sun surplus is chek, the moon surplus is food. Mr. Feng youlan pointed out that this theory had a great impact on the Chinese nation and contributed greatly to its victory in overcoming many difficulties it had encountered in its long history.


Thinking by analogy of traditional Chinese medicine


The Chinese traditional academic concept of "observing objects and taking images" permeates the whole process of TCM thinking. TCM takes the unity of heaven, earth, man and time as the research object, establishes a systematic theoretical framework, covers the abstract thinking of the theory of Yin, Yang and five elements, and takes analogy as the basic mode of intuitive thinking and deductive image thinking. The reason why traditional Chinese medicine has formed a theoretical system and diagnosis and treatment method with distinctive advantages is fundamentally determined by the unique thinking mode of Chinese tradition. The way of thinking of a nation is exactly the cultural gene of the nation.


Analogy thinking in ancient China mainly refers to the ancient people who, under the influence of the idea of the unity of man and nature, divided things with similar or identical characteristics into one category on the basis of observation of nature, and compared and derived them on the basis of the categories. In Chinese academic tradition, there is also a saying of "comparing objects with people", that is, comparing people with things. Use the external characteristics and internal attributes of things to compare people's moral character, ambition. As the analects of Confucius said, "the master said," he who is wise enjoys water, and he who is kind leshan. Knowledge moves, kindness quiets. Knowledge is happiness, benevolence is longevity. "Water" analogy "movement" "music" spirit; "Mountain" is similar to the wind of benevolence "static" and "longevity".


In neijing and nanjing, analogy thinking is used extensively. Neijing is a theoretical system of analogy based on analogical thinking. According to mozi, "the difference is not in quantity, but in quantity." Clearly put forward the principle of "different than", that is, different can not be inferred from each other. The book of internal medicine advocates the promotion of the same kind, such as the theory of su-wen · shi nang-lun, which says: "the healing of the sage, observing the dharma, comparing things, changing the mianming, observing the sutra from top to bottom, why observe the sutra?" For another example, "Yin and Yang should be like a great theory" said: "I know the other, in order to know, in order to view and not as good as the truth, see the micro too much, use it is not dangerous. Analogical thinking and analogy are important characteristics of TCM theory.


Treatment based on syndrome differentiation in traditional Chinese medicine


Treatment based on syndrome differentiation is the basic method of diagnosing and treating diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the diagnosis and treatment characteristic of various clinical departments of traditional Chinese medicine and one of the basic characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine. It is a creation made by ancient philosophers in order to maintain life and treat diseases, and it is also the main part of theoretical framework and clinical treatment of traditional Chinese medicine.


The so-called syndrome differentiation refers to the analysis and synthesis of all clinical phenomena, including symptoms and signs, collected through the four diagnostic methods, under the guidance of the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine, to identify the causes, properties and parts of diseases, as well as the relationship between evil and positive, and then draw a conclusion. The so-called treatment on the basis of syndrome differentiation, after further thinking and the establishment of treatment rules. Syndrome differentiation is the premise and basis to determine the principles and methods of treatment. Treatment is the treatment of disease means and methods, but also the test of syndrome differentiation is correct basis. The accumulation and sublimation of rich clinical experience are just like what zhu xi said: "the canal should be as clear as possible, so as to have water flowing from the source." dialectical treatment is exactly the link between the theory and practice of traditional Chinese medicine and the most important embodiment of it.


The ontology of vitality in traditional Chinese medicine


Qi is one of the most important and basic categories in the category system of ancient Chinese philosophy. It is a moving and delicate material entity, the most basic element that constitutes all things in the universe, the origin of the world and the objective existence of movement. According to TCM, qi is not only the origin of the universe, but also the origin of life. The pre-qin "He crest, recorded", said: "heaven and earth into the vigor, all things in heaven and earth." Wang tingxiang, a thinker and philosopher in the Ming dynasty, said in his book "shen yan · tao ti" : "heaven and earth have not been judged, vitality chaos, clear nothingness between, the creation of six yuan machine. Vitality theory is characterized by integrity, continuity, intangible, functional and chemical nature. Dong zhongshu said in the spring and autumn period fannu · wang dao sixth, qi is the gas of the beginning, "yuan, the beginning.


Su wen · bao Ming's theory on the complete form of life said: "madame was born on earth, and her life was suspended in the sky. He who can respond to the four seasons is the parent of heaven and earth, and he who knows everything is the son of heaven. That is to say, the origin of life is from the air of heaven and earth, that is to say, the air of heaven and earth endow people with life. The ontology of vitality of traditional Chinese medicine, in the final analysis, is just like the Ming dynasty famous doctor zhang jingyue summed up: "cover the way of Yin and Yang, the same spirit.


Yin and Yang theory of traditional Chinese medicine


"Hong fan" said: "the air of heaven and earth, combined into one, and Yin and Yang, judged to be four, as the five elements. The theory of Yin and Yang holds that everything in the universe has both opposite and unified sides of Yin and Yang, which constantly move and interact with each other. This movement and interaction is the root of all changes in the movement of things. The theory of Yin and Yang contains the simple materialism and dialectic thought of ancient China. "Element ask · Yin and Yang Yin and Yang should be like big talk" said: "Yin and Yang, the way of heaven and earth, the discipline of all things, the parents of change, the origin of the birth and death, the house of the gods, so cure must seek in this. Yin and Yang are the driving force of all life movements. The concept of Yin and Yang in traditional Chinese medicine expounds the growth, development and extinction of all things in the universe, which are the result of the constant movement and interaction of the two aspects of things. The theory of Yin and Yang is embodied everywhere in the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine. The theory of Yin and Yang forms the basis of the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine and becomes an important part of it. "Lingshu" said: "bright in Yin and Yang, such as the solution of confusion, such as drunk wake up. In fact, it is also an important key to understand the theory of TCM.


The five elements of traditional Chinese medicine


The five elements were first found in the book of classics · hong fan. "the five elements are water, fire, wood, gold and earth. Water yue run down, fire yue yan up, wood yue qu zhi, gold yue ge, soil hence seedtime and harvest. It makes salty the lower part, bitter the upper part, sour the straight part, and bitter the leather part. Ancient Chinese philosophers classified things into five elements. Later, the theory of the five elements was applied in traditional Chinese medicine. It was characterized by the analysis and study of the internal organs, meridians and physiological functions of the human body based on the characteristics of the five elements, and the use of the attributes and mutual relations of the five elements to explain their mutual influence in pathological conditions.


Hints, brevity and association of traditional Chinese medicine


There are many rhetorical devices in Chinese linguistics. These methods are ways and means to improve the function of language expression by modifying, adjusting sentences and using specific expression forms. Among them, metaphor includes implication or metaphor (metaphor), simile, metonymy, metonymy (also known as metonymy), metonymy (also known as metonymy), metonymy, metonymy (also known as metonymy), metonymy (can be divided into strong metaphor and weak metaphor), similes, qu yu, decorative metaphor, citation, etc., which are very implicit and rich.


An obvious feature of Chinese philosophical language is its implication. Philosophy is not to give people the concept of deductive reasoning, as Mr. Feng youlan said: "a philosopher just tells us what he sees, because of which, what he says is also about yifeng, because of which, his words are full of implications, do not need to be clear. Traditional Chinese medicine also has this characteristic. For example, in "treatise on typhoid miscellaneous diseases", zhang zhongjing is very good at using concise, associative, implicit comparative method, classification, analysis, synthesis and reasoning. Through a series of discussions on imaginal thinking, there is a lot of space for interpretation and "syndrome differentiation for treatment", so as to better grasp clinical practice.


In fact, many TCM concepts, while very simple, are not very clear. There are countless doctors in history who constantly interpret and annotate theories. Under the academic system of predecessors, they are not simple copies of academic theories or theories, nor the impulse of new medical thoughts. Instead, they are the connections and connections of ideas and ideas implied by predecessors under the academic system.


There is a theory in philosophy called "fuzzy thinking". The so-called fuzzy thinking refers to the thinking carried out in the process of thinking through the use of fuzzy concepts, fuzzy judgment and fuzzy reasoning and other non-accurate cognitive methods. The connotation of fuzzy thinking is not clearly defined, but it gives people a lot of space to explain and associate. Thinking and thinking prediction are often determined by the objective nature of the complex and nonlinear world. The thinking of traditional Chinese medicine has this characteristic.


Thinking people not only need to have accurate and strict reasoning and calculation ability, but also should have the integrity, fuzzy, approximate judgment and thinking ability, in order to cope with the complex world. In particular, in traditional Chinese medicine, the implication, conciseness and association of thinking have not only formed the thinking mode of the main body of traditional Chinese medicine, but also created the unique personality and characteristics of Chinese medicine in the world medical system. (lu xiangzhi)


(this article has been carefully reviewed and corrected by Mr. Wang qi and Mr. Qian chao-chen for their comments. I would like to express my sincere gratitude.)