Antecedents to Chiropractic Philosophy

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Antecedents to Chiropractic Philosophy

• Biological Constructs

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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)

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Biological Constructs

• Two fundamental doctrines
• 1. Mechanism/atomism
• 2. Vitalism

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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

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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

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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)

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Vitalism(re What is life?)

• Life and its functions depend on a vital
  influence which is not physical in nature
• Derives from dualism
• Not necessarily a theological doctrine
• life chemistry animated by spirit
• Is an inclusive doctrine

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Vitalismhas two versions, or interpretations

• Extreme vitalism (aka naïve vitalism)
• Moderate vitalism (aka critical vitalism)

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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

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Extreme (naïve) Vitalism

• Is popular doctrine, reinforced by common
  sense, everyday language, etc
• a lifeless corpse
• he lost his life
• a cats nine lives
• life in a test tube
• Frankensteins monster

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Extreme (naïve) Vitalism

• Is least popular theory with biologists today

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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

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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
  chiropractics untestable metaphors for this
  concept

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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 reductin
  of biology to physics and chemistry
• The whole is more than the sum of its parts

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Is there a moderate mechanism? (property
dualism applied to the life question)

• 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 understanding of
  the organizing relationships of the living
  system

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Is there a moderate mechanism? (property
dualism applied to the life question)

• No separate, non-physical entity is required
  life is self-organizing and self-maintaining
  (autopoietic)
• Neither purely mechanistic nor purely vitalistic

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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

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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
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The life process consists of all activities
involved in the continued embodiment of the
systems (autopoietic) pattern of organization in
a physical (dissipative) structure. Capra, The
Web of Life, p. 267
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The pattern of life is a network pattern capable
of self-organization. Capra, The Web of Life,
p. 83
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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
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With respect to invulnerability to criticism,
vitalism and its most plausible alternatives
i.e., mechanism are in exactly the same
position. Morton Beckner
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What does this mean to us?

• Universal and innate intelligence are metaphors
  for the self-forming (autopoietic) and
  self-organizing 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

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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

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With respect to invulnerability to criticism,
vitalism and its most plausible alternatives
i.e., mechanism are in exactly the same
position. Morton Beckner
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A little philosophy makes a man an atheist a
great deal turns him to religion. Bacon