Theories: Yin-Yang
The Theory of Yin-Yang
 One
of the philosophical views in traditional Chinese medicine is dialectics.
It is expressed as the theory of Yin-Yang.
Yin and Yang were and still are two topographical terms designating
the shady and sunny sides of a hill, respectively. Since everything
under the sun has two sides, the shady and the sunny, by extension,
Yin and Yang represent two opposites of an object or phenomenon.
According to this theory, all things and phenomena in the world
contain two opposite aspects: Yin and Yang, which are in conflict
and at the same time mutually dependent. Therefore, this theory
can be taken as a law of unity of opposites.
The theory of Yin-Yang as a dialectical way of thinking
can be applied to any field of medicine. There is no conflict between
the theory of qi and that of Yin-Yang. In fact, Qi, as the basic
element that constitutes the world, can also be divided into two,
for example, Yin Qi and Yang Qi. Yin Qi chiefly refers to the material
aspect of the element, and Yang Qi, the dynamic aspect. The
Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor states, "The clear
yang qi ascends to form Heaven, while the turbid yin qi descends
to form Earth."
The quintessence of the theory of Yin-Yang is the
law of unity of opposites, which means keeping a dynamic balance.
In fact, this law can also be applied to modern physiology at various
levels-- at the levels o f
systems, organs, cells, and even molecules. For example, in the
nervous system, excitation and inhibition, the sympathetic and parasympathetic
functions, the actions of acetylcholine and norepinephrine are all
in opposition, and between each pair of opposites a dynamic balance
should be maintained for normal nervous activities. In the endocrine
system, there are estrogen and testosterone in opposition; in the
kidneys there are diuresis and anti-diuresis, renal tubular secretion
and reabsorption; for muscles there are contraction and relaxation;
for body temperature there are thermogenesis and thermolysis; for
glucose metabolism there are insulin and glucagons; for blood there
are coagulation and anticoagulation; in the body fluids there are
acid and base; and so on. All these opposites should be kept in
dynamic balance. Therefore, it can be concluded that the maintenance
of dynamic balance by uniting various opposites is a general law
of life activities.
Modern physiology has shown that homeostasis, metabolism
and adaptability are the three characteristic features of life activities.
In traditional Chinese medicine, these three features are all well
discussed, but expressed in different ways: the dynamic balance
of Yin-Yang within the body for homeostasis, waxing and waning of
Yin-Yang or transformation of Yin-Yang for metabolism, and adaptable
conformity between the human being and the external environment
for adaptability. If the Yin-Yang theory is compared with modern
physiology in this way, it will be easy to find the rationale of
this ancient theory from a modern perspective. Of course, there
are great differences. The main difference is that the Chinese theory
is macrocosmic, while the modern Western theory is microcosmic.
The latter has many advantages. The deeper it goes, the more detail
and precision attaches to the knowledge. However, it may have the
tendency to pay more attention to the local part than to the whole
body. The knowledge gained by macrocosmic observation in Chinese
medicine is often general and vague, but because of thousands of
years of accumulation of experience, there is a wealth of useful
knowledge, which is neglected by Western medicine and its microcosmic
point of view. That is why integration of the advantages of Chinese
medicine with Western medicine may promote the development of world
medicine as a whole.
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