Constructing a philosophy of chiropractic: evolving worldviews and modern foundation()

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Science
• History of Medicine
• Metaphysics

Background:

• The development of the "modern self" emerged after the Western Enlightenment.
• Key philosophical concepts influencing modernity include Cartesian dualism, Spinoza's substance, Rousseau's expressivism, and Kant's critiques.
• 19th-century American metaphysical religious culture responded to the challenges of the modern self.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the philosophical underpinnings of Daniel David Palmer's self-concept and chiropractic philosophy.
• To trace these foundations to modern Western philosophy and metatheories of modernity.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of primary and secondary sources.
• Philosophical inquiry into the concept of self and modernity.
• Comparative study of D.D. Palmer's philosophy with Western philosophical traditions.

Main Results:

• D.D. Palmer's sense of self aligns with the characteristics of a "modern self."
• Palmer's chiropractic philosophy can be situated within the broader tradition of responding to modernity's challenges.
• His work reflects engagement with 19th-century American metaphysical and religious thought.

Conclusions:

• D.D. Palmer's development of chiropractic philosophy was a reaction to the intellectual landscape of modernity.
• His self-perception and chiropractic principles are rooted in modern Western philosophical thought.
• Chiropractic's philosophical origins are intertwined with responses to the Enlightenment and subsequent intellectual shifts.