The Ontic-Epistemic Imaginary of the Five Elements, Yin and Yang and Cosmic Breath Qi

• In Event: Elements: Thinking Our Present Elementally - II

Abstract

A new performative, located and situated understanding of science as a knowledge system is emerging as transmodernity is performed as a synthesis of both modernity and postmodernity. Modern cosmology embodies a mechanical metaphysics which dichotomizes the realm of ‘the abstracted theoretical world’ (theory) from ‘the realm of the real world’ (practice ). To heal ‘this fractured metaphysics, I propose the performative metaphysical paradigm of theory-as-practice which holds a macroscopic (yin) – microscopic (yang) view of the living human being as the universe contained in the individual. The interaction between the yin visible material cosmos and the invisible yang cosmic breath qi brings about life in our universe. And ‘the Five Elements wu xing, are encompassed by the invisible yang cosmic breath and the yin visible material cosmos and the five ascending, floating, descending, sinking and centering space-time-matter-in-motion (Peng Ziyi). The Western notion of the four elements is comparable to wu xing (five elements) of TCM- mu 木 (wood), huo 火 (fire), tu 土 (earth), jin 金 (metal) and shui 水 (water)—in the sense that in both philosophical systems, the elements constitute the ultimate roots of all natural things. The Five Elements, Yin and Yang and the Cosmic Breath Qi as ontological entities (‘about the ultimate nature of reality’ [Coulter] ) are ‘things’ or matter-in-motion’ (Peng Ziyi) or as space-time-matter-in-motion (Barad). We can refer to them as “ontic-epistemic imaginary, another name for metaphysics” … that “ lie at the heart of stories about realness” (Verran).” They are imaginaries implicit in traditional Chinese medicine and various pre-modern traditional Chinese art and practices in a transmodern world.

Author

• Rey Tiquia, University of Melbourne