Many friends raise the question: âWhy Dialectical Homeopathy? Are you trying to build a new âsystemâ of your own? Already we had enough âsystemsâ, âbrandsâ and âgurusâ. Are you trying to create a new one?â
My answer is an emphatic âNOâ. I am totally against âsystem buildingâ in homeopathy. Actually I use the word âdialecticalâ to make it clear that this is not a new system. Some thing âdialecticalâ cannot be a âsystemâ. A âsystemâ is always a closed one with its own âdogmasâ, âpriniciplesâ, âlawsâ and âmethodsâ. Where as âdialecticalâ indicates âopennessâ, âamenable to changeâ, constant âgrowthâ. âDialectiacalâ is just opposite to âdogmaticâ.
âDialecticalâ only indicates an approach. Science is always âdialecticalâ. Science never tolerates âdogmasâ and âsystemsâ.
The word âdialecticalâ comes from latin word âdialegoâ, which originally means âdialogueâ or âideological interactionâ. Dialogue is not argument. Dialogue is always creative. The dialogue between âthesisâ and âantithesisâ results in âsynthesisâ, which is a higher stage of knowledge totally different from both âthesisâ and âantithesisâ. That is the way human knowledge advances towards more and more perfection. Scientific method is always âdialecticalâ. There is no âimmutableâ, âeternalâ principles in science. Every laws, every principles, every theories change and become more and more perfect through an evolutionary process of human knowledge, experience and collective thought.
By âdialectical homeopathyâ, I only mean that this scientific method of constant rejuvenation and advancement should be brought into homeopathy. That is the only way of making homeopathy scientific. Scientific homeopathy means âdialectical homeopathyâ. It is an approach towards homeopathy.
Originally, homeopathy was also âdialecticalâ. Hahnemann was most âscientificâ and âdialecticalâ in his approach. He questioned existing medical âsystemâ through his dialectical approach. He did not accept any âdogmaâ, âprincipleâ or âbeliefsâ that cannot withstand rational experimentation, logical thinking, and verification with the available scientific knowledge. Actually, homeopathy is the result of his âdialecticalâ rebellion against existing âmedical systemâ.
Hahnemann was ready to revise everything according to new experience and updated knowledge. The fact that he re-wrote organon six times during his life-span clearly shows that he was âdialecticalâ in his approach. For him, homeopathy was a constantly advancing âscienceâ- a medical science. Not a âclosed systemâ. He was willing to accommodate the experiences and suggestions of others also.
After the death of hahnemann, initially homeopathy continued to be an open system. That is why the thought of hering, kent, nash, boenninghaussen and many other stalwarts were incorporated into homeopathy, and became part of homeopathy.
After the first generation of homeopaths also disappeared from the scene, homeopathy began to be more and more institutionalized and âdogmatizedâ. It lost the character of science, and became more or less a closed âsystemâ. For the last 200 years, homeopathy hesitated to interact with modern scientific knowledge- abstained from creative âdialogueâ with other areas of human knowledge. Homeopaths started call this âclosedâ system as âclassical homeopathyâ. âPurityâ was the key word. Safeguarding the purity of âoriginalâ dogmas were considered to be the sacred duty of homeopathy. Ultimately, this approach grew into an âanti-scientificâ outlook, constantly resisting all innovations and scientific intrusions into the sacred lands of âpure homeopathyâ
I am trying to make homeopathy a science again. For that, homeopathy has to bridge the great knowledge divide of 200+years and reach abreast with modern scientific human knowledge.
We have to explain each and every âprinciplesâ and âlawsâ of homeopathy in terms of modern science. We have to experiment every claims of homeopathy in accordance with scientific method. We have to be brave enough to accept new knowledge into homeopathy, same time discarding everything obsolete and unscientific in homeopathy. That is the duty of all true followers of hahnemann.
By âDialectical Homeopathyâ, I want to instill this scientific sense and approach into fellow homeopaths. I want to declare our willingness to change, growth and advancement towards more and more perfection. I want to declare that homeopathy is âscienceâ, not a âsystem of immutable dogmasâ.
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