证候研究中的边缘

目的从与证候研究相关的边缘学科--哲学、语言学、思维学、数学等相关学科对证候研究中已出现和可能出现的问题进行拷问,藉以引发证候研究者在证候研究中进行深层次的思考.方法从西方哲学本体论的角度分别讨论中西医学的本体论基础,从东方哲学讨论证候的"象"与"意";从语言学的角度分析证候的表层结构与深层结构;从思维学的角度论述思维所考虑的"事实问题"与"规范问题";从数学的角度讨论构成证候的症状体征串的有序与无序.结果中医证候本体论的基础多为"本体论的承诺"少见"本体论的事实",虽然重"象"但更重从"象"中取"意";证候宜分为宏观层次与微观层次,两者的关系多呈先后关系,且两者本为一体;症状体征串应该是有序的.结论证候研究过程中,应时刻不忘中医理论形成过程中所做出的"本体论承诺",理解它是如何应用"虚构"来弥补认识论的欠缺;我们的思维需要规范,"本体论的承诺"与"本体论的事实"是不同的,它们是构建理论体系的两种不同的方法.

A research of frontier branches of science related to syndromes

Objective To explore the present and potential problems in the research of syndromes from aspect of related frontier branches of science like philosophy,linguistics,noetic science and mathematics,and to inspire further thinking of researchers into syndromes.Methods The ontology basis of western and Chinese medicine were discussed from the aspect of ontology in the western philosophy,"manifestation" and "implication" of syndromes were studied from eastern philosophy,the surface structure and deep structure of syndromes were analyzed from linguistics,the "question of fact" and "question of normalization" considered in the thinking were expounded from noetic science,and the sequence and non-sequence constituted in the "cluster of symptoms and signs" of syndromes were explored from mathematics.Results The ontology basis of syndromes in Chinese medicine are mostly the "promise of ontology" and scarcely the "fact of ontology",and although importance is attached to the "manifestation",the more should be given to the "implication" that is deduced from "manifestation".Syndromes are preferred to be classified into "macro-structure" and "micro-structure",which are in precedence relation but integrated as one whole,and the "cluster of symptoms and signs" should be sequential.Conclusion In the research of syndromes,it should be born in mind of the "promise of ontology" which is made during the development of Chinese medical theory,and that how "fabrication" is employed to remedy the flaw of epistemology.Our way of thinking should be normalized,and the "promise of ontology" and "fact of ontology" are two things,and two different approaches by which theoretical systems are constructed.