State Power and Shape Modernization: A Case Study of Traditional Medicine Education in Contemporary China

Abstract

Abstract

Medicine, as a system of knowledge, is often regarded as a form of power in the context of postmodern discourse. Ancient Chinese medicine, with its unique system developed over thousands of years, has faced controversies regarding the scientific nature and modernization of its theories since the spread of Western learning to the East. These controversies have spilled over from the realm of medicine into political and ideological debates, constituting the backdrop for the initial work on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the early days of the People's Republic of China. The establishment of Chengdu College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1956 marked the state's intervention in the systematic training of TCM practitioners, the standardization of TCM knowledge production, and the construction of TCM discourse. This reflected the interaction between the state and localities, intellectual elites, and the public. By analyzing the preparation of local medical colleges, with a focus on the reconstruction of indigenous medical knowledge systems and the reestablishment of medical discourse authority, we can observe the transformation of TCM as it integrates historical traditions with modernity. This contributes to our understanding of the situation of traditional culture in contemporary society, explores the Chinese spirit, and provides a new pathway for the localized study of the history of medical society.