Traditional Chinese Medicine from the point of view of System Science

Abstract

How can we account for the fact that traditional Chinese medicine is both so ancient and yet so effective? This apparent paradox is difficult to explain from the world view of the physical sciences. To address it, we must be aware of the gap between East and West, and bearing such awareness in mind we can begin to shed light on such questions from the perspective of system science. In doing so we will discuss Y$\text{ı}\text{̄}$n-Yáng and the Five Phases theory, which constitute the basic theoretical framework of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In these ancient Chinese modes of reasoning, Y$\text{ı}\text{̄}$n-Yáng is the first step to classify the qualitative properties of things, while the Five Phases are employed to analyze and express the relationships among systems. Following this combination of contemporary and ancient ways of thinking, Traditional Chinese Medicine can provide a promising method to deal with complex things.