The Sacred Cows of Homeopathy

Summary

By using various tools – such as rational analysis, and an anthropological eye – enough distance can be gained to reflect upon beliefs that tend to exist, unquestioned, within the homeopathic community (as with every community). The authors begin the process by sorting out some exemplary “sacred cows”, or unquestioned beliefs, so that some doors may become visible where currently there might seem only to be unbroken walls. Guidelines are offered by which to determine whether a belief is functioning as a “sacred cow.” Examples of such beliefs are then sorted into three groups. First come examples to do with ways of knowing (epistemology, the theory of science); to this rubric the authors assign, variously, questions as to the status of provings, the supposed boundary between toxicology and potentised provings, and the requirements of an artful science. Secondly, there are examples which reflect the tensions between tradition and reform, under which the authors include miasmatic thinking, and the roles of theme and of metaphor. Finally, examples are offered with respect to rules and homeopathic lore – including matters such as antidotal relationships, potencies, posology, aggravations, repetition and remedy classification.

Key words

Sacred cow - Holy cow - Sect - Absolutes - Stuckness - Befangenheit - Unbefangenheit - Development - Evolution - Scrutiny - Emotional response - Polemics - Epistemology - Theory of science - Reflective thinking - Scientific paradigm - Cultural bias - Scientism - Tradition - Reform - Classical - Lore - Repetition and change - Theory and practice - Logical and analogical - Left brain and right brain - Systems - Classification - Oversimplification - Plato - Hahnemann - Heraclitus - Sherr - Vithoulkas