Le discours de la médecine chinoise – entre la tradition asiatique et la modernité de l’Occident – une question d’idéologie
The Medical Chinese Discourse – between Asian Tradition and Western Modernitiy – a Question of Ideology

Summary/Abstract: In order to consider the discourse of Traditional Chinese Medicine between the Asian Tradition and the Western modernity, several aspects of the terms of tradition and medicine in the Far East should be taken into deliberation. A diachronic approach should also be brought forth in order to determine what elements still belong to the Asian tradition, what other elements are part of the Western modernity, what elements belong to the Chinese cultural background and what are the direct or indirect influences of the Western modernity in the discourse and subsequent practices of TCM. The notions of tradition and modernity usually form together the concept of civilization, generally governed by that of ideology. The main issue of concern for a linguist and translator of the TCM discourse is the semantic one, especially the one of rendering its concepts and methods not only into another language, but also into another culture. As such, the ideological point of view becomes of major interest. We have chosen to cross-examine the discourse of TCM due to China’s economic and political position and surge over the past 20 years, which also promotes China’s traditional healing methods to the whole world, trying to impose them on the international medical market. As such, China tries to bring to the attention of the whole world its ancient, traditional medical system in a pure, ethnic version, unmodified by the western ideology or by the modern medical thinking system and pattern. This tentative met the categorical refusal and rejection of its medical discourse by the WHO. The WHO refusal to acknowledge and approve the TCM healing system and to declare it an “official” alternative medical system took the guise of an argumentation over the lack of scientific proof and scientific, modern discourse, adapted to the modern realities of nowadays’ society. Subsequently, in the past thirty years, China modified its TCM discourse, operating major changes especially in its traditional forms and means of expression, thus operating a major mutation and degradation at a comprehensive, semantic level.

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