Korean Herbal Formulation [Part 1] — The Dialectic and the Science of Harmony: Prologue

 CALee Acupuncture

Korean Herbal Formulation [Part 1]

The Dialectic and the Science of Harmony : Prologue

Introduction: The Beginning of a New Chapter

The Korean Acupuncture (K-Acupuncture) series was not a study of techniques,
but an exploration of thought over skill, order over symptoms.
In its final chapter, we confirmed that the essence of Korean Acupuncture lies in the principle of Dialectics (辨證法).

Now, that dialectic expands —
from acupuncture to medicine, from the regulation of energy flow to the harmony of material composition.
This dialectic is not merely a therapeutic theory;
it is a structure of thought that penetrates the order of the universe, life, and the human interior.

To recognize the tension between thesis and antithesis,
and to discover their higher synthesis —
that process itself embodies the philosophy of Korean Acupuncture
and the healing logic that restores balance amid the complexity of human physiology.

From here, we enter its natural extension: Herbal Formulation (方劑學) —
the world of combination and harmony of medicinal substances,
where the order of nature is reborn through the language of herbs.

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Main Body: Medicine as a Language

Herbal Formulation is often regarded as the art of combining medicinal ingredients.
Yet, its essence lies not in chemical reaction nor in pharmacological effect.

Korean Herbal Formulation is a language that reconstructs the cosmic and vital order within the human body.
Each single herb carries its own nature (性),
and through their interaction, new orders emerge.
This law of combination is the very operation of dialectic,
and the result of that process is called a formula (方劑).

For instance, cold (寒) and heat (熱), deficiency (虛) and excess (實)
are not simply descriptions of symptoms,
but representations of opposite forces in nature.
The way one harmonizes these opposites determines the success of healing.

Therefore, Herbal Formulation should be understood not as pharmacology,
but as the Science of Harmony,
or more precisely, the grammar of life —
a study that seeks how the principles of nature are re-enacted within human physiology.
This is the true essence of Korean Herbal Formulation.

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Conclusion: The Path of Korean Herbal Formulation

If Modern Korean Acupuncture can be described as
“the medicine of dialectic that regulates the flow of energy,”
then Korean Herbal Formulation may be called
“the science of dialectic that composes the order of nature.”

Both systems share one fundamental principle:
the dialectical integration — the logic of life that discovers new balance through opposition.

In the upcoming series, Korean Herbal Formulation: The Dialectic and the Science of Harmony,
we will read classical medical texts alongside modern scientific perspectives,
examining how Herbal Formulation bridges philosophy and science, theory and clinical reality, substance and thought.

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Preview of the Next Essay

In the next post, [Part 2] The Logic and Flow of the 58-Chapter Structure,
we will introduce the overall framework of this series —
a 58-part journey through which Korean Herbal Formulation reveals
the logical progression of dialectical medicine and the harmony between nature, humanity, and clinical practice.

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📘 Korean Herbal Formulation: The Dialectic and the Science of Harmony

“A medicine is not a mere substance,
but a language that interprets the relationship between nature and human life.”

— Prologue to the Series: Korean Herbal Formulation