淺論東方主義與中醫的「科學性」──從一場辯論談起

Issues in Orientalism and the Scientificity of Traditional Chinese Medicine- a debate for approach

東方主義，是指西方以本位的視角來看東方，而造成扭曲的狀況。中醫是不是科學，是醫學界持續爭論的議題。此爭議乃受到東方主義的影響。西方形成的實證主義成為科學的主流，帶動中醫「科學化」、「現代化」，反而使得傳統中醫理論被扭曲。2007年「方舟子和王琦辯論中醫科學性」即反映了這個爭論，也是當今學術現象的縮影。辯論中，一造的立場呈現了東方主義現象。因此本文以此辯論為例，以小見大，論述以西方視角看待中醫所潛藏的問題。
東方主義的內涵，是當西方透過本位立場來看東方時，展現出西方優越性，使得同情理解、互為主體性、不可共量思維、民族文化差異的考量、多元視角、自我檢討等現象不足，且因此而創造偏差性知識。這也正是該辯論中反中醫一方所呈現的現象。
為了避免中醫成為西方價值觀的附庸，中醫應走自己的路。中醫應站在主動的地位，檢討主流科學典範的缺點；詮釋中醫，應採用尊重多元的詞句；中醫可主動選擇實證主義，而非被動的被實證主義所選擇；中醫應追求多元典範；更重要的是，中醫應掌握群眾心態，要追求實際療效更甚於教條化的遵守科學規則。

The issue of whether Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a form of science or not that has been a controversy for a long time. The controversy is influenced by orientalism. The paradigm of positivism generated in Western medicine is the main aspect of science that has lead to the TCM scientization and modernization that has resulted in the tortuosity of TCM theory. A debate“the discussion of the scientificity of TCM by Wang Oi and Fang Zhou Zi (Fang Shi Min)”(2007) that reflects this contention is an epitome of medicine circles, a side of this debate being presented by the Orientalism vision. The article focusses on this debate. It discusses the western vision annotating TCM that result in some problems.
The meaning of Orientalism shows that when the West stands on its own position to annotate the East reflects the superiority situation of Western medicine that results in the phenomenon that lack of: empathetic understanding, inter-subjectivity, incommensurability, consideration of national or culture distinction, diverse perspectives and introspection. Therefore, the deviate knowledge produced. These phenomena reflect one side of the debate that is opposed to TCM.
In order to protect the meaningful TCM paradigm and to avoid a dependency of Western values, TCM should pursue its own way. TCM should stand on the status of initiative, examine the defect of mainstream paradigm of science; annotate TCM by the words that reflect respect of the polybasic; choice and manipulate positivism initiatively rather than choose by positivism; seek the polybasic paradigm; satisfy the psychology of the masses that seek the curative rather than obey the science’s rule dogmatically.