February 28, 2014

Superstition, Science, Chinese Medicine, etc.

Old Chinese medical chart on acupuncture meridians
Old Chinese medical chart on acupuncture meridians (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Chinese medicine is mostly experience, and experience is part of science, so those who fight against Chinese medicine under the name of "science", do not really understand science.

Of course, much of Chinese medicine indeed is superstition. However, modern medicine is also not 100% "scientific". Many modern medicine treatments are not suitable for humans, but they are still in practice nonetheless because of our blind belief in science.

I don't think superstition belongs to a specific knowledge, tradition or custom. Nor do I think it's a privilege of religion. I think it is a human attitude exhibits in all intellectual fields. I think superstition in a sense can be understood as a blind belief in our imagined super power, or "absolute", derived from our despair over human condition. So as long as human race exists, superstition will always play its rule.
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6 comments:

  1. I'm in agreement with you here, Yun. Great observations and post!

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  2. Yun, great post and an excellent commentary on superstition! I agree, it’s a human attitude that affects all intellectual fields and it really is a “blind belief.”

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  3. You won't believe, Yun, but out here in the backwaters of India people still rush to a shaman when a snake bites someone. Guess what, there success rate is as high as 80%. Looks impressive unless you check out and find that roughly the same number of serpents are less poisonous and a tryst with them would not have meant death anyway.

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    1. lol... I can certainly imagine that kind of situation with Chinese medicine. Thanks Uma!

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