用复杂系统科学的“涌现”原理研究中医药学

The Principle of Emergence and Traditional Chinese Medicine

中医药学将人体作为一个整体来考虑,在疾病治疗上展现了强大的疗效。然而,人作为一种复杂特性的生命体,是一个开放的复杂巨系统,体内各种不同层次的分子、细胞、组织、器官与系统相互作用,保持稳态,还与外部环境有着物质、能量、信息的实时交换。现代医学尚无法系统地研究与认识其中不同层次相互作用,如何导致人整体变化与适应的规律,因此也不足以解释中医理论与概念。“涌现”是复杂巨系统的一个重要特征。高级别的层次或整体具备着低级别层次或组分所不具备的新属性,而且无法从低级别层次或组分的属性推断出更高级别层次或整体的属性。“涌现”原理在解决物理、化学等多个方面的复杂巨系统问题中,已经取得了斐然的成就。本论文旨在探讨应用“涌现”原理促进中医药研究的全过程,包括对象、方法、作用原理,这不仅能对中医药原理、理论的理解有促进作用,解决长期困扰学界的问题,更重要的是能够把中医药学体系的思维、方法和理念,与当代实验科学发现的人体不同层次组分相互作用的现象规律融合,发现生命现象与疾病的本质规律。

Considering the human body as a whole,Chinese medicine has demonstrated powerful efficacy in the treatment of disease.However,the human body is a complex and open system with different levels of molecules,cells,tissues,organs,and systems interacting to maintain homeostasis.Moreover,the human body continuously exchanges material,energy,and information with the external environment in real-time.Modern medicine has not yet been able to systematically study and recognize the interaction of different levels that lead to overall changes in the human body and the law of adaptation.Therefore,it is not sufficient to explain the theories and concepts of Chinese medicine.The concept of‘emergence'is an important feature of complex systems.Higher levels or wholes exhibit properties that lower levels or components lack,and it is not possible to deduce the properties of higher levels or wholes from the properties of lower levels or components.The principle of emergence has been successfully used to solve problems of complex systems in physics and chemistry.The present study endeavors to delineate the application of the emergence principle in advancing the realm of Chinese medicine research.It aims to elucidate the comprehensive process of leveraging emergence to deepen the understanding of Chinese medicine's underlying principles,thereby addressing long-standing academic conundrums.Furthermore,this endeavor seeks to foster an integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine's systemic thinking,methodologies,and concepts with contemporary experimental sciences,and explore the fundamental laws governing life phenomena and diseases.