Bifurcation during the Han-period

[Guest guest]

Hi Emmanuel et al

 

I have come a little further in Paul's new book " Was ist Medizin " and

maybe I can now give you some more insight as to how I read his

viewpoints about the bifurcation during the Han-period.

 

As I wrote in my previous e-mail about this question, the Taoist were

opposed to the new stance that the Confusianists took in explaning

everything according to their newly discovered laws of nature, i.e.

in-yang, 5-elements and systematic correspondence. The conficianists

applied these laws also to the human body and their view of

healthness and sickness. Meaning that the body had to be in a state

of well ordered communication between all the body parts thereby

ensuring that each parts contributes to the wellbeing of the whole.

The causes for disease are found in too violent emotions that weaken

the human body and causes it to be susceptible to the six external

evils. The treatment by the confusianists consists of restoring

balance (by acupuncture and bloodletting) in the body's communication

and thereby causing it to be strong again.

 

The taoists kept to their beliefs that main causes of disease are

found in demons, spirits and 'smallest living creatures' threatening

and invading the body. Their approach to treatment is protecting the

body to threats by amulets and spells. And has the body still been

invaded by these enemies then summoning them to leave by issuing

threats using incantations. When the enemies of the body do not

leave, they will administer a herbal treatment causing the patient to

vomit, sweat or to drain the bowels and remove the invaded enemy or

causing the enemy to be killed inside the body.

 

Having already said that both sides could only make use of the same

bodily signs of illness and I can only presume they will have had

different methods of diagnosis given their vastly different views

only health and sickness of the body. The taoists fought war with the

enemies of the body and the confucianists restored the communication

of the different body parts and thereby restored balance.

 

 

Only much later was Chinese Herbal Medicine brought in line with the

laws of nature like the 5-element, Yin-Ynag, systematic

correspondence etc.

 

Best wishes

 

Alwin

 

 

--- " Emmanuel Segmen " wrote:

> Paul spoke on the topic of the " bifurcation of the Han in CM "

> wherein Taoists were oriented to a medicine of herbs, nutrition,

> qigong and the like. Confucianists represented the opposing pole

> and were into using acupuncture as their therapy of choice. I

> wasn't clear if each camp employed similar diagnostic methods and

> only differed in their treatment modalities. Or if they also had

> quite different approaches to diagnosis.

>