8th chakra

[Guest guest]

I haven't really been understanding this thread but for those who

can... ;-) I offer this article by Scheid and Bensky that may or not

be cited by the writers of this thread...

 

http://www.siom.com/resources/texts/articles.html

 

a short quote:

 

Reflecting on descriptive accounts of CM thus brings us face to face

with a widely discussed issue of post-modern life, the problem of

relativism. If we allow for the co-existence of a potentially unlimited

number of different practices of Chinese medicine, how do we relate

ourselves to them? This calls for a second type of inquiry: a

discussion of the proper ways in which Chinese medicine should be

practised. This is known as a normative account. Normative accounts are

always political in nature and are always produced within the contexts

of ongoing debates and struggles: inter-professional struggles between

various medical systems, intra-professional struggles between various

schools of thought and intra-personal struggles about how to develop

one's own practice.

 

Descriptive and normative accounts unfortunately often get mixed up

with each other. As a result we mistake our value-laden (normative)

judgments of what we believe we should be doing for a (descriptive)

account of what we think we actually are doing. When we are then

confronted with the reality of Chinese medicine in all its complexity

and all of its complications, we end up fighting each other about who

represents true Chinese medicine. Or we reshape history, theory and

practice so as to create the systems and traditions we imagine

ourselves to represent rather than follow where our patients lead us.

[11] This process not only causes us to lose respect for truth but also

limits our potential for understanding and efficacy in the clinic.

 

 

 

 

On Monday, September 29, 2003, at 08:31 AM,

wrote:

 

> My thesis is this. It may be expecting too much to assume that we

> will still have Chinese medicine after it is distilled through and

> translated into Western science. We might obtain some useful

> molecules and maybe a method or " modality " , but I doubt we will get

> Chinese medicine out of the deal. My sense is that CM will have an

> altogether different effect on Western culture in addition to the

> inevitable one wherein Western science dismantles it into its

> " apparent " physical components. I can not begin to predict what this

> " different effect " will be. It is this " different effect " which is in

> play when people on this list apply it fully in a clinical setting

> from within it's own paradigm. I believe that both Ken and Z'ev are

> attempting to put forth this sensibility, each from their own

> perspective. Fernando and Robert Newman have also posted in support

> of this perspective. Alon warns us that we must be mindful of Western

> scientific methods. You have delivered your perspective. So many

> others have added to the warp and weave of these threads. An

> interesting tapestry is being woven. I'm staying tuned to see how the

> fabric unfolds. Thank you for your comments.

>

> In gratitude,

> Emmanuel Segmen

>