Chinese Medicine is Not Science(2)

But those that do read these classic works practice the same medicine as those who do not. And in modern medical research, no one will cite dated works when a modern, authoritative source will do. Chinese medicinal research is radically different; the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, Treatise on Cold-induced Febrile Diseases, Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber, along with other historical documents are all considered peerless, mandatory readings. This only leaves modern Chinese medicine the task of clarifying and expounding upon their claims. In this way Chinese medicine is more of an art than a science.
    
The natural laws of science transcend national borders, nationality, and cultural attributes. Although modern science developed in the West, it has become a wealth of knowledge that all of humanity can enjoy. It has influenced and been influenced by both Western and Eastern thinkers. There is no branch of science that is limited to or dominated by one nationality, just as there is no branch of science where a certain cultural background is pervasive and necessary. Thus China does not need to study and grasp western culture in order to appreciate modern science. Our claims that Chinese medicine is “our special kind of science” and thus impossible for westerners to understand is simply absurd.
    
Science is a complete system of knowledge. All branches of science are interconnected, and there is not one part of the web that isn’t somehow attached to all other parts, even if there are conflicts.
   
Modern science is established on the foundation of biology, whose foundation is based on physics and chemistry. Chinese medicine is not just incompatible with modern medicine; it is incompatible with all of modern science and its component branches. Thus Chinese medicine can be called metaphysics or a philosophy but it cannot be called a science.
    
Chinese medicine often defends itself by saying that it is a “science of experience”, that it has crystallized over thousands of years worth of accumulated experimentation. Although experimentation can have scientific elements to it, itself alone is not science. Mere experience without other elements of the scientific method cannot sum up all of scientific theory. The length of time Thus the expression “a science of experience” is misleading. Furthermore, the length of time a branch of science has endured has nothing to do with its validity. Some branches of science (for example, modern medicine) have histories that are extremely short while other pseudo-sciences have extremely long histories (such as fortune telling, witchcraft, etc.) Some pseudo-sciences even outdate Chinese medicine.