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Antecedents to Chiropractic Philosophy

Antecedents to Chiropractic Philosophy. Biological Constructs. Biology:. The study of “life”. TIME, 11/29/04. Biocosm Theory:. An attempt to explain why the universe, against all odds, is so remarkably hospital to “life”

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Antecedents to Chiropractic Philosophy

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  1. Antecedents to Chiropractic Philosophy Biological Constructs

  2. Biology: The study of “life”

  3. TIME, 11/29/04

  4. Biocosm Theory: • An attempt to explain why the universe, against all odds, is so remarkably hospital to “life” • Most of the fundamental characteristics of our cosmos- gravitational constant, electromagnetism, etc…(6-10 numbers) are so finely tuned that if just one of them were slightly different, life as we know it couldn’t exist

  5. “Anthropic Principle:” The proposition that the cosmos is perfectly tuned for life

  6. QCTimes.com; 11/21/02

  7. Q-C Times, 8/20/07

  8. Biological Constructs • To describe the essential nature of life/living things; i.e. “what is life?” • Derived from more basic metaphysical beliefs/doctrines (materialism, idealism, dualism) • The Cartesian split of mind and body led to the two major views regarding the understanding of life (“biology”):

  9. Biological Constructs • Two fundamental doctrines: 1. Mechanism/atomism 2. Vitalism

  10. Mechanism/atomism(re: What is life?) • Life can be completely explained by actions of physical, chemical, and electrical forces • Derived from materialism and/or scientific exclusionism • A reaction to antiscientific theological doctrines

  11. Mechanism/atomism(re: What is life?) • The central dogma of biology: Life is complex carbon-based chemistry; DNA ultimately codes for “life” processes • There is no immaterial component; “only matter, never mind” • A living thing is exhaustively composed of inanimate parts; the “whole is equal to the sum of its parts”

  12. Good Website & article: brucelipton.com brucelipton.com/chiro1.php I’ve got a link to his site, and an article by him, “The Science of Innate Intelligence,” on my webpage (w3.palmer.edu/strang)

  13. Mechanism/atomism(re: What is life?) • In its extreme form, could be considered as an extension of the metaphysical doctrine of materialism (“only matter, never mind”)

  14. Vitalism(re: What is life?) • Life and its functions depend on a “vital influence” which is non-physical in nature • Derives from dualism • Not necessarily a theological doctrine • life= chemistry “animated” by spirit/force, etc.. • Is an inclusive doctrine: matter/chemistry + the additional influence of a separate, non-physical entity or field

  15. Vitalismhas two versions, or interpretations: • Extreme vitalism (aka “naïve ” vitalism) • Moderate vitalism (aka “critical” vitalism)

  16. Extreme (“naïve”) Vitalism: • The presence in living systems of a substantial entity that imparts to the system powers possessed by no inanimate body (i.e..an extension of substance dualism) • Matter evolves, then spirit animates it- “ghost in the machine” • Lends itself to theological interpretation

  17. Extreme (“naïve”) Vitalism: • Is “popular” doctrine, reinforced by common sense, everyday language, etc… “a lifeless corpse” “he lost his life” a cat’s “nine lives” “life in a test tube” Frankenstein’s monster

  18. Extreme (“naïve”) Vitalism: • Is least popular theory with biologists today

  19. Moderate Vitalism: (also termed “critical” vitalism) • The immaterial expression (mind) co-evolves with the physical structure; essentially an extension of “property” dualism • Vital forces always a part of, never apart from, the process of living thing; (“life in matter inseparably”- V.V. Strang); i.e.. Dualistic interactionism

  20. Moderate Vitalism: (also termed “critical” vitalism) • Hans Driesch: life is an autonomous, mind-like, non-spatial entity that exercises control over organic processes • Paralleled in chiropractic philosophy: major premise and triune of life • Universal and Innate intelligence are chiropractic’s “untestable” metaphors for this concept

  21. Is there a “moderate” mechanism”? (property dualism applied to the life question) • Possibly equated with contemporary “organismic” biology • Suggests that “pure” or “extreme” mechanism is outmoded • organicism, like vitalism, opposes the reduction of biology to physics and chemistry • The whole is more than the sum of its parts (the Szent-Gyorgi experience), but not due to the addition of a separate, non-physical entity

  22. “Moderate” mechanism, or organicism might be expressed as: • “the presence in living systems of emergent properties, contingent upon the organization of inanimate parts, but not reducible to them” • Life is epiphenomenal, or an emergent property of the matter • the additional “ingredient” is an understanding of the organizing relationships of the living “system”

  23. No separate, non-physical entity is required; life is self-organizing and self-maintaining (autopoietic & structurally antientropic) • Neither purely mechanistic nor purely vitalistic

  24. Good article: Senzon, Simon “What is Life?” JVSR, June 13, 2003

  25. Good book:

  26. “The currently emerging theory of living systems has finally overcome the debate between mechanism and Teleology. (“purposeful nature” )…it views living nature as mindful and intelligent without the need to assume any overall design or purpose.” Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life, p.107

  27. “The life process consists of all activities involved in the continued embodiment of the system’s (autopoietic) pattern of organization in a physical (dissipative) structure.” Capra, The Web of Life, p. 267

  28. “The pattern of life is a network pattern capable of self-organization.” Capra, The Web of Life, p. 83

  29. “Self organization is the spontaneous emergence of new structures and forms of behavior in open systems far from equilibrium, characterized by internal feedback loops and described mathematically by non-linear equations.” Capra, The Web of Life, p. 85

  30. “With respect to invulnerability to criticism, vitalism and its most plausible alternatives [i.e., mechanism] are in exactly the same position.” Morton Beckner

  31. In review: • How do we answer the question: “What is life?” • Two major doctrines: 1) mechanism “extreme” and “moderate” 2) vitalism “extreme” (“naïve”) and “moderate” (“critical”) • The “moderate” versions of each are not very different from each other

  32. How does chiropractic philosophy relate? • Living human beings are: -self-forming (autopoietic) -self-organizing (structurally antientropic) -self-regulating (homeostatic) -self-repairing (self-healing)

  33. “entropy”: a thermodynamic term referring to energy equilibrium • “structural entropy”: ever-growing disorder in the universe over time; proceeding toward disorder/randomness • “structural antientropy”: ( in thermodynamics- “enthalpy”)- development of increased order or organization; sometimes termed “syntropy”

  34. D.D. Palmer: “Life is the result of the combination of intellectual spirit and unintelligible matter.”

  35. V.V. Strang: Human beings are “life in matter inseparably.”

  36. Therefore: • Chiropractic is essentially a vitalistic paradigm, though not a “naïve” or “extreme” one • “life” is not itself an entity apart from the organism

  37. R.W. Stephenson, D.C.: • Principle #1. The Major Premise. “A Universal Intelligence is in all matter and continually gives to it all its properties and actions, thus maintaining it in existence.” (a metaphysical concept)

  38. R.W. Stephenson, D.C.: • Principle #2. The Chiropractic Meaning of Life. “The expression of this intelligence through matter is the chiropractic meaning of life.” (deductive logic supporting a vitalistic biology)

  39. Palmer Tenet #1: “The Palmer College of Chiropractic embraces the philosophy that life is intelligent; the human body possesses the inherent potential to maintain itself in a natural state of homeostasis through its innate/inborn intelligence.” (This statement doesn’t insist on an overall “plan” or purpose to existence- that would enter the arena of belief or faith.)

  40. Intelligence = Organization

  41. What does this mean to us? • Universal and innate intelligence are metaphors for the self-forming (autopoietic), self-organizing (structurally antientropic), and self-regulating (homeostatic) properties of living things consistent with the present-day tenets of organismic biology- essentially an extension of “critical vitalism” • Extreme “mechanism”- (the concept that life is reducible to complex carbon-based chemistry) is as dogmatic and unproven as the animating life-force view of “naïve” vitalism

  42. “With respect to invulnerability to criticism, vitalism and its most plausible alternatives [i.e., mechanism] are in exactly the same position.” Morton Beckner

  43. Very Important!: • A “vitalistic” approach does not necessarily require the assumption of beliefs consistent with a theistic teleology (it is not religion!) • however, it does accommodate such beliefs

  44. “A little philosophy makes a man an atheist; a great deal turns him to religion.” Bacon

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