Ma Zimi, Jia Chunhua, Guo Jin, Gu Haorong, Miao Yanhuan
J Tradit Chin Med. 2014 Feb;34(1):115-21. doi: 10.1016/s0254-6272(14)60064-9.
To study the Chinese ancient five-element theory, one of the philosophical foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory construction, from the perspective of comtemporary cognitive science, and to reveal the important functions of five-element theory in the construction of TCM theory.
The basic effects of five-element theory in the construction of TCM theory are intensively expounded and proved from the following aspects: embodiment of five-element theory in cognizing the world, quasi axiom of five-element theory in essence, classification thery of family resemblance and deductive inference pattern of five-element theory, and the openness and expansibility of five-element theory.
If five-element theory is considered a cognitive pattern or cognitive system related to culture, then there should be features of cognitive embodiment in the cognitive system. If five-element theory is regarded as a symbolic system, however, then there should be a quasi-axiom for the system, and inferential deduction. If, however, five-element theory is taken as a theoretical constructive metaphor, then there should be features of opening and expansibility for the metaphor.
Based on five-element theory, this study provides a cognitive frame for the construction of TCM (a medicine that originated in China, and is characterized by holism and treatment based on pattern identification differentiation) theory with the function of constructing a concept base, thereby implying further research strategies. Useful information may be produced from the creative inferences obtained from the incorporation of five-element theory.
从当代认知科学的角度研究中医理论构建的哲学基础之一——中国古代五行学说，揭示五行学说在中医理论构建中的重要作用。
从以下几个方面深入阐述并论证五行学说在中医理论构建中的基本作用：五行学说在认识世界中的体现、五行学说本质上的准公理、家族相似性分类理论与五行学说的演绎推理模式，以及五行学说的开放性和扩展性。
如果将五行学说视为一种与文化相关的认知模式或认知系统，那么该认知系统应具有认知具身性特征。然而，如果将五行学说视为一个符号系统，那么该系统应有准公理和推理演绎。但是，如果将五行学说作为一种理论建构隐喻，那么该隐喻应具有开放性和扩展性特征。
本研究基于五行学说，为中医（起源于中国，以整体观和辨证论治为特点的医学）理论构建提供了一个具有构建概念基础功能的认知框架，从而暗示了进一步的研究策略。从五行学说结合中获得的创造性推理可能会产生有用信息。
