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| REVIEW ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2019 | Volume
: 2
| Issue : 1 | Page : 19-20 |
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Cultural nourishment for the development of chinese medicine
Qizhong Li
Cultural Centre of Chinese Medicine, Research Institute of Science and Humanity, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| Date of Web Publication | 18-Mar-2019 |
Correspondence Address:
Prof. Qizhong Li
Research Institute of Science and Humanity, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai
China
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/CMAC.CMAC_12_19
Medicine, especially traditional Chinese medicine, is by no means a single level of knowledge system and operational skills, but is full of humanistic color, encompassing natural science and social science, medical theory and traditional culture. Traditional Chinese medicine is rooted in the splendid traditional culture of China, and its theoretical exploration methods and explanations are based on the historical and colorful traditional Chinese culture. This article will give advice on the irrigation and nourishment of traditional culture.
Keywords: Chinese medicine, cultural nourishment, development, suggestions
How to cite this article:
Li Q. Cultural nourishment for the development of chinese medicine. Chin Med Cult 2019;2:19-20 |
| Definition of Culture | |  |
Culture is the social behavior and norms found in human societies. The concept of material culture covers the physical expressions of culture, such as technology, architecture and art, whereas the immaterial aspects of culture such as principles of social organization, philosophy, literature, and science comprise the intangible cultural heritage of a society. Traditional Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest cultures, originating thousands of years ago. It is the root of and soul to the Chinese nation.
Characteristic of Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is rooted in the splendid traditional culture of China, and its theoretical exploration methods and explanations are based on the historical and colorful traditional Chinese culture. Chinese medicine, the towering tree that has lasted for thousands of years, is still flourishing, which exactly derives from the nourishment of traditional Chinese culture.
“If you can't be a good prime minister, then be a good doctor,” (不为良相，便为良医) which for thousands of years has become the value orientation of Chinese intellectuals; “A good medicine tastes bitter (良药苦口)” means “Good advice is harsh to the ear (忠言逆耳),” which for thousands of years has become a famous saying for self-cultivation of Chinese people; “Curing the sickness to save the patient (治病救人)” and “Healing the wounded and rescuing the dying (救死扶伤)” have also become a moral standard beyond time and space. TCM, as a part of traditional Chinese culture and even an important part of Chinese social life, has been passed down from generation to generation.
It is indisputable that the humanistic factors, such as philosophical basis, thinking method, value orientation, national consciousness, and customs, play an important supporting role in health-care behaviors. “Correspondencebetween nature and human (天人相应),” “recuperating the patients as a whole (整体调治),” “treatment according the trend of its development (因势利导),”“eliminating pathogenic factors at the nearest hand (就近祛邪),” “treatingdisease from the root(治病求本),” and “simultaneous treatment of bothbody and spirit (形神兼治)” are all the characteristics and features of TCM, which stem from the unique way of thinking of the Chinese nation and the rational sublimation of the life and production experience of the Chinese people cultivated by the farming culture.
Development of Chinese Medicine
Medicine, especially TCM, is by no means a single level of knowledge system and operational skills, but is full of humanistic color, encompassing natural science and social science, medical theory, and traditional culture. Whether reviewing the past, envisaging the present, or looking into the future, the occurrence and development of TCM, in addition to relying on in-depth research in clinical practice and the promotion of advanced technology, must rely on the irrigation and nourishment of traditional culture. To this end, we propose the followings:
Colleges and universities of TCM should establish special institutions, organize full-time personnel, and allocate special funds to make positive contributions to the inheritance, research, dissemination, and guidance of TCM culture.
Students in TCM colleges and universities are the main source of practitioners, so it is necessary to carry out general education on humanistic basis for them. Certain quantity and quality of this kind of education should be guaranteed, with special assessment system.
In order to carry forward TCM culture, the in-depth academic research should be carried out in the professional field of TCM through continuous education to improve the traditional cultural literacy of the practitioners.
More attention should be paid to the spread of TCM among the public and to improve their understanding and acceptance.
From the perspective of global cultural collision, exchange, complementarity, and integration, developed countries with industrial culture as the background have developed strong interest and objective demand for TCM. Some scholars believe that the cross-cultural communication barriers encountered in the process of the internationalization of TCM are prominently manifested in the different values of TCM and Western science, as well as the difficulties in the accurate translation of philosophical abstractions, analogism, entity falsified, and other aspects. In this regard, we should also attach great importance to the cultural level.
Translator: Xiaoxuan Shi(石筱璇)
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
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