Home Institution
University of Pennsylvania
Publication Date
Spring 2018
Abstract
Scholars in western biomedicine describe the body as a physical entity distinct from mind and soul. However, the human body in Indian systems of medicine integrates the multiple natures of personhood and is both deeply physical and spiritual. This study demonstrates the unique view of personhood, being, health, and illness in Ayurveda through literature research and interviews with practitioners and patients. This study extends past a search for the ontology of personhood in Ayurveda and discusses the implications of this ontology on the way one views oneself and the world around him or her. Through this integrative approach, this study argues that the human body proposed in Ayurveda is fundamentally different from some other traditions of medicine, and because of this difference, the human body is treated differently and health is pursued in a unique manner.
Disciplines
Alternative and Complementary Medicine | Community-Based Research | Family, Life Course, and Society | Medicine and Health
Recommended Citation
DeFelice, Denise, "Ontology of Personhood in Ayurveda from the Perspective of Patients and Physicians in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh: An Independent Study" (2018). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 2854.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/2854
Included in
Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Community-Based Research Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Medicine and Health Commons
Program Name
India: Public Health, Gender, and Community Action