[Homeopathy and philosophy]

Abstract

We are studying here the philosophical evolution of the homeopathy's inventor, Hahnemann, and the impact of philosophy on the foundation of his doctrine. As far back as 1777 he was, by studying medicine, introduced to animism through two critical Stahl's followers, Platner et Whytt, and to the vitalism of Montpellier's faculty. To found his theory he used the concept of "reaction" of living body on the body acting on it, that we can find as well in the nervous theory of animists as by vitalists like Hufeland, or by more mecanists thinkers like Haller and Cullen, and that corresponds to different representations of Nature medicatrix. As far back as 1801 Hahnemann imagined some morbid causes and medicinal actions as dynamic and immateriel. He will finally conceive the living being in the same way than the vitalists of Montpellier's school, and will adopt, from the Organon's second edition (1819), an immaterial conception of vital force. Nevertheless he distinguishs himself of this school by supporting from the same time the dynamic and immateriel nature of every morbid cause. His doctrine then became more and more spiritualistic and incoherent enough because his recognizing of something immateriel and sprirituel into the matter itself, even out of a living being, which makes us also suppose any esoteric or theosophical sources or influences on his doctrine.