The Concept of Happiness in Oriental Thought and Its Significance in Clinical Medicine
The Concept of Happiness in Oriental Thought and Its Significance in Clinical Medicine
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东方思想中的幸福观及其临床意义
DOI：
10.1007/978-94-015-8895-9_14
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发表时间：
1997
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
A. Akabayashi
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
A. Akabayashi
“生命质量”已成为临床研究中的一个重要概念。根据国际医学数据库“Mediline”的数据，以“生活质量”为关键词的文章从1983年的每年370篇增加到1993年的每年1130篇。日本医学数据库“日本医学中心”显示的增加幅度更大：1993年每年增加440例，而1987年每年增加23例。对生活质量概念日益增长的兴趣涉及各种医疗领域，如癌症患者的治疗、精神病患者的护理、老年人的护理等。然而，似乎大多数临床研究人员都设法避免解决生活质量概念和幸福概念之间的关系。幸福，作为一个重要的道德概念，在日本和其他亚洲国家在伦理和文化上都处于主导地位。没有对幸福的明确理解，我们就不能恰当地处理与生活质量有关的各种问题。因此，当日本和其他亚洲国家讨论生活质量问题时，我想指出一个重要的议程项目。也就是说，我们必须首先对传统的幸福概念进行仔细的考察。现代亚洲人的道德精神无疑受到了东方传统思维方式的影响。在理解参照传统的幸福概念的生活质量概念时尤其如此。众所周知，亚洲是佛教、基督教、伊斯兰教、儒教、印度教和道教发展和分化的地方。除了这些世界宗教，各种民间信仰也盛行。这种多种宗教信仰并存的格局，是亚洲国家的一个突出特点。因为日本人有
" Quality of life" has become an important notion in clinical research. According to the international medical database" Mediline," the nu mb er of artieies that have" quality of life" as a keyword have increased from 370 per year in 1983 to 1130 per year in 1993. The Japanese medical database" J apana Centra Revno Medieina" shows an even more dramatic increase: 440 artieles per year in 1993 in contrast with 23 artieies per year in 1987. This growing interest in the concept of quality of life involves a variety of medical fields, such as the treatment of cancer patients, care for psychiatrie patients, care for the elderly, etc. However, it seems that most clinieal researchers have managed to avoid addressing a relationship between notions of quality of life and the concept of happiness. Happiness, as a major moral concept, is ethically and culturally at horne in Japan and other Asian nations. Without a definitive understanding ofhappiness, we will not be able appropriately to deal with a variety of issues relating to quality of life. 1 Accordingly, when the issues of quality oflife are deliberated in Japan and other Asian nations, I would like to point out an agenda item of some importance. That is, we must begin by undertaking a close examination of the tradition al concept ofhappiness. The moral spirituality of modem Asian people has certainly been inftuenced by the tradition al manner of general Oriental thinking. This is the case in partieular for understanding the concept of quality of life in reference to the traditional concept of happiness.As is well-known, Asia is a place where Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Taoism have evolved and diverged. Besides these world religions, various folk-faiths also prevail. This type of coexistence of a variety of religions and faiths constitutes one prominent characteristie of Asian countries. Since J apanese people have