한의학 기초이론 연구와 한의학 이론, 용어의 은유적 이해

Abstract

This paper examines whether the conceptual metaphor theory, which has been recently treated as important research topic in the field of cognitive linguistics, can be a new method that can promote the modernization of basic Korean medicine (KM) theory. In addition, the significance and potential of this study are reviewed by looking at Chinese research cases that applied this theory to Traditional Chinese Medicine theories and terminologies. The results are summarized as follows. From the viewpoint of metaphoric cognition, KM is a medicine that attempts to understand the human body (microcosm) through nature (great universe) by metaphorically projecting human experiences of nature on the human body based on the thought of correspondence between nature and human (天人相應). The language system of KM is based on a metaphor that extends our experience of nature to the human body, and an abundance of metaphors can be seen throughout the language of KM. Understanding and interpreting KM theories and terminologies from a metaphorical point of view allow us to understand the nature of KM theoretical key terms more deeply than now. And this understanding can help define and describe KM theoretical key terms and promote the modernization of KM theory research. In addition, various image schema that plays an important role in the metaphorical expansion of physical experience can be used for modeling KM theory. Research of KM theories and terminologies from a metaphorical point of view can serve as a bridge between traditional KM theory and modernization research, opening a new path to the modernization of basic KM theory in difficult situations.