A Comparative Study Of Chinese And Western Medical Mythology

Myths are the result of people’s cognition of their surroundings in ancient times, which reflect the thinking pattern of ancient people, and are the deepest component of the national culture.For thousands of years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has contributed greatly to the prosperity of the Chinese nation and even to the healthiness of the entire human race. As a special medical mode, TCM originates from the special Chinese cultural matrix and carries a strong national cultural form. TCM has always been deeply rooted in the rich traditional Chinese culture, and has been an important part of the excellent Chinese cultural heritage. However, with regard to "What is the essence of TCM" and "What is the root of the differences between Chinese medicine and Western medicine", scholars are still in the progress of exploration, and lack a consensus of opinion so far. Without solving those fundamental problems, it is difficult to acquire theoretical guidance for the development and innovation of TCM. As the anthropologists have pointed out, knowing the origins means knowing the essence. Therefore, it is important to tracing the origins in order to answer the questions mentioned above. Naturally, medical mythology serves as a fundamental background of the search for the cultural essence and origins of TCM.Myths concerning the ancient times have an indivisible connection with the emergence of TCM, whose original form was composed of mythology. Motivated by the awareness of cultural root-seeking, this dissertation gives a basic understanding of the infiltration and expression of traditional Chinese and Western culture in the TCM and Western medicine, by combing through the myths with medical themes in Chinese and Western mythology and using theories of comparative mythology, medicine, cultural anthropology, and cultural philosophy; it compares and contrasts the differences and similarities between the myths in TCM and Western Medicine, and analyzes the historical and cultural roots of the differences between them. This dissertation is aimed at understanding the cultural origins of different national medicine, to dig the deeper cultural roots of the emergence of medicine, and to explore the cultural essence of TCM from different perspectives, through studying medical mythology as well as the primitive ideas and national spirits reflected in it.The formation of each country’s traditional medical theories is unavoidably influenced by its own national culture, and the characteristics of TCM and Western Medicine are inevitably represented in their respective mythologies, which are the original thought systems of the Chinese and Western nations. Mythology is permeated with rich cultural code and national psychological connotation, from which studies of different perspectives can draw different inspirations. Through a comparative study of Chinese and Western medical mythology and a deeper digging into the national spirits reflected in mythology, it can provide a cultural clue to the interpretation of the differences between TCM and Western Medicine. It is also beneficial to revealing the scientific connotation of TCM.