Jonathan Cochrane
Period 2
Primary Source Analysis
Through the primary sources, Hippocrates takes a stance of skepticism, while the Yellow
Emperor emphasizes acceptance and respect of superiors. We can see that Hippocrates does not
believe the Sacred disease is sacred, meanwhile the Yellow Emperor states that all afflictions are
a result of a disobedience of the laws of nature.
Hippocrates doubts the Sacred disease is actually sacred, given other diseases not labeled
as divine are similar, as seen by Hippocrates’ comparison of the causes of the tertian, quotidian
and quartan diseases -all diseases that are not considered sacred- to the cause of the sacred
disease. This style of thinking is reflective of the lack of religious value in Greek society, and
their value of human perception over divine presence.
The Yellow Emperor states that afflictions are a result of the disobedience of the laws of
nature, reflecting the Confucian value of respecting one’s superior. The Yellow Emperor most
likely chose to exhibit this aspect because of China’s history of warring states, wishing to keep
citizens in line by saying it will keep them healthier. Chinese elite also compared Confucianism
to Daoism with the concept of Yin and Yang, seeing a balance reflected in the writer and in the
text.
The differences between the writers are that Hippocrates is more skeptical of what has
been said, while the Yellow Emperor translates beliefs into phenomena, so we can see that
Greece took a Humanistic viewpoint whereas China took a religious viewpoint.