Abstract
This dissertation explores the creation process of basic theory for Chinese medicine during the initial years of the People’s Republic of China. Particularly, it investigates how the theory of wuxing 五行 was reinterpreted through the lens of modern science, biomedicine, and materialism. This study aims to understand the interplay between Chinese medical theories and the political and social challenges faced during the early Maoist era in China. This thesis is structured into two main sections. The initial section, encompassing Chapters 1 and 2, delves into the historical background of the basic theory creation from the late Qing dynasty through to the early period of Maoist China. Chapter 1 provides a detailed account of the shift in policy from the Republican era’s stance of "Abolishing Chinese Medicine" to the Red China approach of "Integrating Chinese and Western Medicine," spanning the years 1891 to 1949. It does so by investigating (1.) the debate about wuxing in the late Qing; (2.) the "scientific" acupuncture textbooks translated from Japan; and (3.) the application of Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and qigong 氣功 in CCP’s army and border regions. Chapter 2 highlights the changing attitudes and strategic approaches from the "Chinese medicine doctors should study Western medicine" movement (1949–1954) to the "Western medicine doctors should study Chinese medicine" movement (1954–1958). The chapter explores how this policy shift influenced Chinese medical education and research, and how it affected the relationship between practitioners of Chinese and Western medicine. This pivot in policy is examined within the broader sociopolitical context of early Communist China, particularly Mao Zedong’s reassessment of strategies after the demise of Joseph Stalin and the internal political crisis of the "Gao Gang Affair" in 1953.The latter section of the thesis, spanning Chapters 3 through 5, investigates the creation process of basic theory for Chinese medicine starting from 1954, focusing on three central issues: 1. By verifying the existence of jingluo 經絡 system through qigong practice, the jingluo system was incorporated into Chinese medicine textbooks, establishing its status as the core theoretical foundation within the discipline. Consequently, two distinct models of jingluo circulation flows were developed, providing a logical explanation for the zangfu 臟腑 and wuxing theories and contributed to the scientification of acupuncture. 2. Huangdi neijing 黃帝內經 was adopted as Chinese medicine’s basic theory textbook. The beginning of this process can be traced back to Neijing zhiyao 內經知要, a condensed and accessible version of Huangdi neijing which was selected as the primary textbook for Western medicine doctors to study in 1955. From 1958 onwards, national textbooks for Chinese medicine were developed based on the Neijing zhiyao framework, which made Huangdi neijing the foundational text underpinning the basic theory of Chinese medicine education. 3. The transformation of the wuxing structure from cruciform to pentagram represents a significant change in its conceptualization. In the first national Chinese medicine textbook, the Outline of Chinese Medicine, a pentagram diagram that was created by Japanese acupuncturist Honma Shohaku in 1941 was included. The Outline served as the blueprint for subsequent Chinese medicine textbooks, paving the way for the pentagram to become the widely recognized representation of wuxing not just in China but also around the globe.
Through a careful study of the historical process of the creation of contemporary Chinese medicine’s basic theory in the 1950s by meticulously analyzing its interplay with political dynamics, ideological shifts, and social movements, this doctoral dissertation presents a new perspective on the understanding of contemporary Chinese medicine. Specifically, it illuminates the process by which traditional Chinese medical practices were synthesized into what is now recognized as "traditional" Chinese medicine (TCM), thereby helping bridge the gap between ancient practices and their modern standardized theoretical framework. Additionally, this dissertation adds to our knowledge of the complex history of traditional medicine in East Asia and its modern adaptation in the 20th century. It highlights the broader implications of this shift for our comprehension of Chinese medicine, as well as the intersections between culture, science, and politics in the East-West encounter.
| Date of Award | 22 Jul 2024 |
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| Original language | Chinese (Traditional) |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Ka Wai FAN (Supervisor) & Yu LUO (Supervisor) |