The Influence of Daoist Principles on Acupuncture and Herbal Remedies, Techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Session Number
N01
Advisor(s)
Robert Kiely, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Location
A-117
Start Date
28-4-2016 12:45 PM
End Date
28-4-2016 1:10 PM
Abstract
Taoism, an ancient Chinese philosophy, involves the idea of the Tao, or "the Way," and the belief that humans are inherently flawed and so, must look towards nature to find order. Taoism is founded on several principles including the concepts of Yin Yang, the Five Element Theory, the trigrams and hexagrams of the I Ching, and Qi. In order to investigate these underlying principles and their application to traditional Chinese medicine, I read the Tao Te Ching, one of the founding texts behind Taoist thought and practice. In addition, I also read texts regarding the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, including The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China: 1 and Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. By reading about Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine, I sought to determine how one affected the other. Through this analysis, I concluded that the underlying principles of Taoism help to not only explain many traditional Chinese medicine techniques, specifically herbal remedies and acupuncture, but also serve to influence the daily practice of these techniques. Therefore, the conceptual principles of Taoism ultimately serve to influence acupuncture and herbal remedies in order to connect these ideas with nature and all of humanity.
The Influence of Daoist Principles on Acupuncture and Herbal Remedies, Techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine
A-117
Taoism, an ancient Chinese philosophy, involves the idea of the Tao, or "the Way," and the belief that humans are inherently flawed and so, must look towards nature to find order. Taoism is founded on several principles including the concepts of Yin Yang, the Five Element Theory, the trigrams and hexagrams of the I Ching, and Qi. In order to investigate these underlying principles and their application to traditional Chinese medicine, I read the Tao Te Ching, one of the founding texts behind Taoist thought and practice. In addition, I also read texts regarding the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, including The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China: 1 and Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. By reading about Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine, I sought to determine how one affected the other. Through this analysis, I concluded that the underlying principles of Taoism help to not only explain many traditional Chinese medicine techniques, specifically herbal remedies and acupuncture, but also serve to influence the daily practice of these techniques. Therefore, the conceptual principles of Taoism ultimately serve to influence acupuncture and herbal remedies in order to connect these ideas with nature and all of humanity.