Chiropractic Philosophy for the 21st Century

Michael W. Shreeve, D.C., L.C.P. Palmer College of ChiropracTIC Florida Campus Victor G. Strang, D.C., Professor Palmer College of Chiropractic Davenport Campus

Learning

!"ectives

Discuss the philosophy of Chiropractic as a scholarly #iscipline Descri!e the vitalistic foun#ation for chiropractic philosophy Define !asic philosophic an# chiropractic ter$s% philosophy, science, art, chiropractic, mechanism, vitalism, the major premise, universal intelligence, innate intelligence, assimilation, elimination, growth, reproduction, adaptability, force, information, energy, interference, universal forces, innate forces, trauma, health, relative health, dis-ease, vertebral sublu ation, innate brain, innate mind, innate body, mental impulse

Philosophy an# Science

*(o interactive $etho#s of stu#ying our (orl# +oth have si$ilar o!"ectives
Philosophy% ,love of #iscourseScience% ,to .no(Should they stand-alone? Should they be independent?

& 'o( We Mo#el )eality

/ach e$ploys a #ifferent episte$ology 0or (ay to see. .no(le#ge1

Philosophy% De#uctive reasoning Science% 2n#uctive reasoning

The study of the laws and causes under-lying reality, leading to an understanding of its fundamental nature 3s.s% ,Why, (hat are the ra$ifications45u#ges% Value6(orth of .no(le#ge 5ustifies% Value of our actions

Philosophy as a Discipline

Philosophy% ,the Mother of Science ,Synthesis of .no(le#ge into (is#o$How can we apply what we know to our patients?

Philosophy progresses (ith science

Start thinking as human beings. Do something with reasoning cause and have a predictable outcome. Follow the procedures youll get the outcome. oo many variables create uncertain outcomes.

Can raise 7uestions to !e e8plore# !y scientific $etho#

!ther disciplines have philosophy. How do you get H" good? #easure outcomes. Dont be a s$uirrel.

Can pro#uce value "u#g$ents a!out .no(le#ge

Science as a Discipline
The study of the patterns, processes and mechanisms of reality, leading to an understanding of how it works 3s.s% ,What happens, ho( #oes it happen4%&actly what is going on

Pro#uces% 9e( .no(le#ge that $ust !e evaluate# an# integrate# into our (orl#vie( 0eg. Changing $o#els for anti!iotic )8, chiropractic science1
'hy do some procedures have outstanding results? echnology is ever-changing( patients are learning somewhere. 'e need to stay on top o) research. How do we get o)) on tangents?

Science% ,the :o##er of Philosophy

Science #oes not ten# to #efine values

'hat is happening.

'ighest scientific value is o!"ectivity of o!servation

'ighest scientific goal is revelation 0not evaluation1 of .no(le#ge

Having di))erent paradigms within one pro)ession is !*. 'hat works )or me might not work )or someone else and visa versa. here are plenty o) models out there )or all o) us.

)e#uctionistic process%
stu#y parts6pieces
+an look at pieces and )ail to see the whole picture.

Can confir$ or #isprove philosophic $o#els

Science should be able to con)irm or disprove.

*he 2nterrelationship
Philosophy is !ase# on (hat (e .no(
,) your not dogmatic- you will actually embrace challenge.

can al(ays !e e8pan#e#, challenge#, re#irecte# or even negate# !y the accu$ulation of scientific .no(le#ge

Science (ill ten# to ans(er any 7uestion (e as.

(hat 7uestions (e as., an# (hat (e #o (ith the ans(ers is #riven $ainly !y our philosophic $o#els an# the values they create 0eg. *he stu#y of $icro!iology !y $echanists vs vitalists1
Scientists want to know the answer(now 'hats really going on? +auses you to dig deeper. #aybe its not one tree(.its the )orest. .ook at the whole person so you can see whats really going on in that human being.

Philosophy uses the !est of science & 2t shoul#;;;

+ases its assu$ptions on current .no(le#ge Develops conclusions that go !eyon# its li$its

*he Metho#ological )elationship

,) this(then that(.

ffers its conclusions for scientific vali#ation 0eg. DD Pal$er1

Science uses the !est of philosophy

Philosophic speculation generates ne( hypotheses

, wonder i)(.. 'hat is the mechanism? "sk $uestions.

Philosophic integration gives $eaning to .no(le#ge Science can e8pose error an# strengthen philosophy

*he

nly Ga$e in *o(n

Our greatest understanding comes from the interplay between logical philosophical speculation and rigorous scientific validation, both applied to the questions of how the universe works, and why it works the way it does.
.et science and philosophy work together///

Philosophy is like working at a massive jigsaw

puzzle: Our inability to put the puzzle together does not lie in the fact that certain pieces are missing, but rather that we do not know how they fit togetherwhat the finished picture should look like.
Solving the Pu<<le
Philosophy provides a template, or a paradigm to use in understanding how facts relate; this gives meaning to reality

Para#ig$
3 set of assu$ptions, concepts, values, an# practices that constitutes a (ay of vie(ing reality for the co$$unity that shares the$, especially in an intellectual #iscipline.

Philosophy=s Main 3reas

Metaphysics /thics /piste$ology Logic 3esthetics

Metaphysical Doctrines
Materialis$ 2#ealis$ Dualis$

Materialis$% 0a...a. ,physicalis$-1

the all a!out matter $in#6spirit6soul is an aspect of or function of !rain6!o#y can !eco$e #og$a> scientific ,e8clusionis$0 e&tremes are materialism 1S. 1italism

2#ealis$
Min#6spirit is reality, !ut i$$aterial in nature !"ects of perception 0$atter1 are only i#eas of the perceiving $in# Matter is a creation of $in#
How we perceive things

Min#6spirit ? i$$aterial
9ot a physical pheno$enon 9o location, no physical properties 9ot li$ite# !y ti$e6space

Min#6spirit ? essence 0not physical1

/ternal, unchanging, transcen#ent Concept $ore !asic than pheno$enon

/8a$ples%
@, seven, V22, sei!en acorn, sapling, tree, stu$p e$!ryo, fetus, chil#, a#ult, corpse

*he concept, not the sy$!ols, is the essence, or reality

Matter ? creation of $in#

Changing, not per$anent 2$perfect, inco$plete 2$$aterial essence? realityA physical !eing? reflection )eflection is secon#ary to realityA reality is the ideal

2#eal Monis$
Matter #oesn=t e8ist separately fro$ a $in#, therefore all $atter, inclu#ing you an# $e, e8ist in the $in# Whose $in#4 0Plato > an ,eternal- $in#1

Dualis$

3ttri!ute# to Descartes
)eality has t(o ele$ents%
$in# an# $atter

3n#, therefore,
:unctions on t(o levels%
$ental an# physical

*(o ,types- of Dualis$

,property- #ualis$ ,su!stance- #ualis$

,Property- Dualis$
Materialistic or physicalistic $etaphysics ten#e# to lea# to !property dualism" Min# is a ,property- of the !o#y;;;;;BBBBB 2t is epiphenomenal Min# #oes not cause !o#ily activities
2t is an effect of the$

a secondary phenomenon accompanying another and caused by it

,Property- Dualis$
+o#y gives rise to the $in# So, (hen the !o#y #ies, the $in# ceases to e8ist *he $in# is to the !o#y as s$o.e is to fire

,Su!stance- Dualis$
2#ealistic $etaphysics ten#e# to lea# to !substance" dualism Min#, #istinct fro$ the !o#y, is a real su!stance (hich can cause things to happen !y acting

,Su!stance- Dualis$

*he $in# can e8ist in#epen#ent of the !o#y

i.e., after #eath

*en#s to support a theistic vie(

$in# !eco$es e7uate# (ith the soul or spirit

*he Dile$$a

What is the relationship !et(een !o#y an# $in#4

'o( can $atter 0!o#y1 affect the i$$aterial 0$in#14 'o( can the i$$aterial 0$in#1 affect $atter 0!o#y14

*he +o#y 6 Min# Pro!le$

Descartes ha# no ulti$ate ans(er to the !o#y 6 $in# pro!le$ +.5. Pal$er la!ele# this the !#reat Divide" 3tte$pte# to resolve this (ith & *riune of Life

*riune of Life

2ntelligence 0$in#1 gives the form Matter6energy 0!o#y1 e presses for$ :orce 0interaction1 lin$s intelligence (ith $atter
+.5. & this is ,%ridging the #reat Divide-

*his coul# !e ter$e# . . . #ualistic interactionism

*he !o#y an# the $in# are $utually interactive an# inter#epen#ent ne can=t e8ist (ithout the other

Metaphysical State$ents

Cui< *i$e% What #o you thin.4

!only matter, never mind"
0$aterialis$6physicalis$1

!only mind, never matter"

0i#ealis$1

Metaphysical State$ents

Cui< *i$e% What #o you thin.4

!mind from matter"
0property #ualis$1

!mind in matter"
0su!stance #ualis$1

!mind and matter"

0#ualistic interactionis$1

!&ur ideas about the objective character of the physical world, and hence of the nature of truth, have been revised' In other words, mind loo$s less psychic and matter loo$s less materialistic("
Ma8 Del!ruc. 9o!el Pri<e>(inning scientist

!Today there is a wide measure of agreement, which on the physical side approaches unanimity, that the stream of $nowledge is heading toward a non-mechanical reality) The universe begins to loo$ more li$e a great thought than a great machine'"
Sir 5a$es 5eans 01DE@1

/instein on the $ost i$portant 7uestion facing the hu$an race%

!Is the universe friendly*"

!I want to $now how #od created the world' I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element) I want to $now his thoughts' The rest are details'"
3l!ert /instein

!+e only have to $now that the process means us no harm'"

Irving Oyle

*he EE Principles of Chiropractic

Compilation of B.J. Palmers philosophy as described by R. W. Stephenson re a st!dy in ded!ctive logic" Proceeding from a ma#or premise to specific applications in biology and the h!man body

EE Principles )eorgani<e#
$%%& ' (avid )och* (C* +CP ,Sherman grad Professor of philosophy at PCC at the time P!blished a revie. of the && principles Ren!mbered* categori/ed* and edited .itho!t changing the overall concepts or their intent 0any remain identical to the original lang!age

*he Principles Categori<e#

1niversal Principles ,2324- ' Within the 1niverse Biological Principles ,253&%- ' Within the biological system Chiropractic Principles ,&23&&- Within Chiropractic

)eferences
Adapted from course material developed and taught by David Koch, D.C., L.C.P.

(hile at the Pal$er College of Chiropractic Davenport ca$pus