Lao Tzu’s Philosophy and Chinese Medicine: The Philosophical Background of Chinese Medicine

Author: Masami Tateno(Department of Chinese Language and Culture, NIHON)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 54, No. 2
Date：September 2009
Pages：1-15
DOI：10.3966/207451922009095402001

Abstract：

Philosophy and medicine may seem a bit of a strange combination. But in ancient China, philosophy and medicine were like two sides of one coin. In ancient China, both medicine and philosophy shared a psychosomatic viz. mind-body system and a practical regimen which served as the background for each other. These two sides, when properly combined, form the harmonious unity of a healthy person.
In fact, Lao tzu’s philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine share the very common background that is a self cultivative practice through which we plunge ourselves into the deep blue domain of our psyche to embody our true self. Therefore, in this view, philosophy requires the practice of a self-cultivating physical discipline.
At the same time, a human being is a psychosomatic being, i.e. a being of mind and body united together. So, at least in ancient times, medicine was not just a physical healing technique but involved psychic (or mental) strategies to cure diseases, which means that this kind of medicine has a psychological background like Lao tzu. So if it had not been for this philosophical background, there would have been no possibility of constituting the Chinese medical art by any means.

Keywords：Lao tzu, Lushi Chunqiu, mind-body, cultivate, Tao

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