| When
chiropractors get together, they often discuss philosophy.
Yet, you will seldom hear them mentioning Plato and
Aristotle, or comparing notes on Nietzsche or Emerson. The
philosophy they are most interested in is chiropractic
philosophy, the fundamental beliefs and underlying
precepts of the entire profession.
Many people find it odd that
chiropractic has its own philosophy. After all, other
professions don't have one. Have you ever heard of
pediatric philosophy – accounting philosophy – or
legal philosophy? Why, then, does chiropractic have a
philosophy?
Actually, it is somewhat misleading to
say that chiropractic has a philosophy. According to Dr.
B.J. Palmer, the developer of chiropractic (whose father,
D.D. Palmer, is credited with its actual
"discovery" in 1895), chiropractic IS a
philosophy – as well as a science and an art.
That is, chiropractic is not merely a
method of adjusting a person's spine or correcting
subluxations. It is a set of beliefs about the human body
and the natural order of the universe.
These beliefs – this philosophy – is
the WHY of chiropractic. The science and art of
chiropractic (such as the specific adjusting techniques)
were developed, and are used, in accordance with the
philosophy.
Chiropractic is unique in this respect.
Other professions are not based on a set of unchangeable
principles. The legal profession, for example, deals with
a system of laws and statutes that change rapidly. A few
years ago, it was legal to cruise 75 MPH on most highways.
Today, it's against the law.
Even a single action can be viewed
differently depending on the circumstances surrounding it.
Taking another person's life, for instance, can be murder,
manslaughter, negligent homicide, or justifiable homicide.
There is no single, universal principle by which to judge
the action. Lawyers, then, must deal with rules and laws
that fluctuate with time, location, and society's
preferences. The same is true of accounting. Try to
convince a tax accountant that tax laws are consistent.
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Even the field
of medicine changes according to the latest research
results. Not long ago, for example, M.D.s were routinely
taking tonsils out as a preventive measure. Today, it is a
rare procedure.
In chiropractic, the basic underlying
precepts remain unchanged and unchangeable. Understanding
of those beliefs may deepen, and the techniques may
improve, but the elemental doctrines will be constant. The
importance of philosophy to the chiropractic profession
cannot be stressed enough, for it is the basis of
everything a principled chiropractor does.
According to one of the profession's
early philosophers, Ralph Stephenson, D.C., "It is
the explanation of everything chiropractic – the
difference between a good chiropractor and a poor one is,
that the good one has an ample supply of abstract
principles in his head and the poor one only a few –
Poor chiropractors are apt to substitute machinery for
knowledge."
Although there are many principles which
comprise chiropractic philosophy, a few of the key ones
include:
- There exists a Universal
Intelligence which brings organization to all matter,
and maintains its existence;
- All living things have inborn, or Innate
Intelligence which adapts universal forces and matter
for use in the body;
- Every living thing has ALL the
Innate Intelligence it requires to maintain its life and
optimal health;
- Health is the expression of the
Innate Intelligence through Innate Matter, via Innate
Energy;
- When there is interference with the
transmission of Innate Energy, the result is a decrease in
the expression of Innate Intelligence, which chiropractors
call dis-ease (not to be confused with disease!).
Because these terms and concepts are so
important to chiropractors – and their patients – they
will be explained in detail in the other
"booklets" in this series. When you understand
chiropractic philosophy, you will know that chiropractic
works – and why! |