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Revisiting the transformation of Daoist alchemy: an analysis from the perspective of Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions
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DOI：10.1080/23729988.2026.2627840.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
The aim of this article is to explain the transition of Daoism from outer alchemy to inner alchemy by employing Thomas Kuhn's renowned work The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Historically, scholars have often relied on the 'poisoning theory' - the idea that Daoist practitioners abandoned external alchemy because many Daoists died from ingesting golden elixirs - to explain the rise of internal alchemy. However, I argue that the 'poisoning theory' is a simplistic, linear single-cause explanation and fails to capture the full historical picture. I interpret this transition as a scientific revolution within Daoism: from the pre-paradigm period before the emergence of external alchemy, to the old paradigm period of external alchemy and then to the stage where internal alchemy emerged and competed with external alchemy, ultimately leading to the prominence of internal alchemy. This article asserts that Daoism's religious pursuit of longevity and immortality may be said to have a certain degree of connection and similarity with science.
Keywords:
Daoism
inner alchemy
outer alchemy
scientific revolution
paradigm shift
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