Hahnemann's Idea of the Vital Force: Fiction, Construct or Reality?

What is it about?

According to Hahnemann, the spirit-like vital force is real, but unobservable in principle. However, the disease is represented completely by perceptible symptoms, brought up by the invisible vital force. Due to these assumptions, scientists either blame homeopathy for prescientific vitalism or try to develop explanations based on the materialistic paradigm. This article reveals the problems arising from Hahnemann’s assumptions in practice, as well as the short-comes of modern scientific explanations. An approach beyond the materialistic paradigm is suggested, based on modern philosophy and science. Thereby the vital force can be called spirit-like, observable and real. A method for observing the vital force is introduced and impacts on practice are explained.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

The reality of a spirit-like vital force is crucial in homeopathy. It is a precondition for understanding the effectiveness of spirit-like substances on humans. However, if the vital force must be regarded as unobservable, the question arises: how can claiming its existence be justified? Disease symptoms might as well be brought up by physical or chemical mechanisms, and treatment by chemical remedies might therefor appear reasonable. Introducing an epistemologically well-founded method for observing the spirit-like vital force in our patients can close the gap in Hahnemann’s arguments and foster homeopathy research that is helpful for the homeopath in practice. In addition, it closes the gap between scientific understanding and experienced reality of life phenomena.

Perspectives