Mind-body Monism Of TCM Thought And Its Modern Value

The relation of mind and body, an old topic but still remains tantalizing nowadays, is a basic theoretic problem about the nature of mind and body and their relation, which focuses on discussion whether the nature of mind and body is united or separated. The relation of mind and body is the extension of the relations of mind and material, spirit and matter, consciousness and existence in medical field. So the relation of mind and body is basically a philosophical question. TCM mind-body monism is, in its nature, a medical philosophical thought.The limitations and one-sidedness of human knowledge towards the world cannot be avoided. Thus it is not the fact itself that is controversial; instead, it’s the concepts, statements or explanations based on certain techniques that really cause arguments. Understandings of the nature of the relation between mind and body developed in certain context, including certain cultural, scientific and social environment so that they bear the marks of specific times and social contexts. Therefore, to understand the relation, it’s necessary to consider social productivity level as well as cultural and historical context.Discussions on mind and body relation by Chinese ancient scholars were usually developed on the basis of solving the philosophical problems related to life, livelihood and politics. Philosophical thoughts usually integrate with the philosophical system and have great influence on social and culture. Hsun Tzu(Xunzi荀子) from pre-Qin period put forward that mind was developed on the basis of the body. Fan Zhen from Southern dynasties who wrote Theory of Spiritual Perishability said that mind and body were inseparable and body was the basis of mind. His thought is the outstanding example of mind-body monism of Chinese ancient materialism.In ancient Greece, Milesian school believed in the monistic atomic materialism. Though they were influenced by natural philosophy, they began to realize the difference between substance and spirit parts. Socrates considered that soul was a spiritual substance from God and was of certain divinity. Plato thought that soul and body were separated and were independent entities and soul was immortal. Aristotle thought that soul and body were inseparable and the soul lived in the body. After modern times, body-mind dualism of materialism of French philosopher and scientist Descartes had a great influence on the development of philosophy. Its basic standpoint, research model and methodology shaped the thinking method in the West. Even the modern philosophy of mind still developed under the influence of it. And the development of western medicine was trapped in the dilemma due to the influence. The perspectives, concepts organizations of mind-body relation have been changing. However, Western philosophy cannot get rid of the influence of Descartes’s body-mind dualism, which is mainly because they take dualism as a precondition. Eastern and western religions, though not related to monism of materialism, have positive impacts on social control, behaviors and the balancing of mind and body.Theories like Qi-monism, Yin-yang and Five elements are the philosophical basis of Chinese medicine. TCM mind-body monism, deeply rooted in traditional Chinese philosophy, is the world view and philosophy of TCM and the answer to the relation between mind and body, health, disease, treatment, society and life. TCM basic subjects and clinical subjects are all influenced by TCM mind-body monism. It is of great significance in answering questions like the aim of medicine, the relations between doctors and patients, the development way of medicine, and the mode of medical treatment, health and its maintaining, the occurrence, development, treatment and prognosis of the disease. It takes different factors as a balanced and harmonious community. The understanding of the relation between mind and body and its clinical influence of western medicine is not as profound as that of TCM, thus making the psychosomatic medicine hard to develop. However, TCM, which contains the mind-body monism way of thinking, should not be considered as the goal or representation of future medical development. After going through the mind-body separation stage, we will have the spiral development of medicine with high-level mind-body monism character and we should be fully aware of the difference.The core philosophical concept of TCM mind-body monism can be summarize as ontological natural ecology with feature of syncretism between heaven and man, physical view with the feature of the combination of mind and body, people oriented life value, view of doctor-patient relationship from epistemology perspective, moral ethics emphasizing mercy and morality, care towards the patients, life and health view from the perspective of Praxis, virtue and health maintaining view, view of combined treating of mind and body. These core concepts show that traditional Chinese medicine reveals the relations like human and nature, human and society, human beings, and individual and identity from the perspectives of universality, connection and moveability.Cultural difference causes the difference in medical philosophy and view of science. We analyzed the culture difference which causes cognitive and thinking difference from the following three perspectives:time and space, meta-holistic view and con-holistic view, relation-centered view and entity-centered view. Interference and alienation occur in science when it’s performing the social function, due to certain scientific policies, group norms, profit distribution or power bargaining. Therefore, we revealed the dilemma of Chinese and western medicine in terms of mind and body separation from the perspectives of scientism and technical power and raised that TCM mind-body monism should be understood and explained from the perspectives of historicism and contextual theory of science so as to gain the support for the scientificity of TCM and the legality of traditional Chinese knowledge.The theoretical value of mind-body monism of TCM as a belief, a thinking pattern and a mode of system will provide a solid theoretical foundation for TCM clinical practices if it gains the broad social trust and cultural identity. Before it comes true, the cultural identity discrimination should be eliminated so is the value evaluation discrimination. And we should promote the revival of traditional culture, and the expression and arrangement of social institution. By rethinking about the current medical model and the relation between medical science and culture, medical technology and power, the cores of mind-body monism of TCM will turn thoughts into wisdom and turn wisdom into policies and thus contributing to the construction of the system of Chinese Medicine.