Reflections on the Scientific Nature and Modernisation of Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Perspective of Systems Science

Abstract

Due to differences in scientific and cultural backgrounds, the theoretical system of Traditional Chinese Medicine did not pass the test of the "principle of sensory priority" prevalent during the era of classical physics. Consequently, it was not organically integrated into the modern scientific system founded upon the basis of classical physics. For an extended period, its scientific validity has been widely questioned. However, modern scientific research has indeed abandoned the absolute status of this principle. An appropriate black-box nature is more aligned with the developmental direction of cutting-edge disciplines such as systems science. The commensurability between systems science and Traditional Chinese Medicine can provide robust support for the scientific validity of TCM theory and offer insights for its modernisation.