| This thesis presents a new interpretation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) discourse and its modern transformational tendencies in the light of Wittgenstein and Foucault,etc. Rather than looking for the meaning of language by always seeking out some objects corresponding to words or scientifically verifiable facts, this study explores the 'truth' of the linguistic uniqueness in terms of "form of life". To understand the cultural struggle in the traditional discourse, the author embarks on a critical analysis of some texts (interaction) collected from clinical practice, medicine research, media, educational institutions and related interviews, combined with ethnographic descriptions of the case. It is revealed that the generic structure and the epistemological essence of the traditional practice have been undermined by technologization of the language purely for the purpose of justification and explanation. Today, in response to the internally persuasive discourse of the other, some Chinese scholars strive for a scientification of their medicine tradition. Consequently, the language that renders the form of life plausible for seeking a harmonious relationship between human and nature is gradually silenced and removed, which poses a threat to the cultural integrity in general, and the medicine heritage in particular. This analysis highlights the social conditions enacting this transformation in terms of the hegemonic power relationships of discourses between different cultures, which dominates the process of globalization and submits the Chinese medicine community to an order of discourse they are unaware of.
|
PDF Full Text Request