《莊子》的生命倫理觀與臨終關懷

Life and Death in the Zhuangzi and its Implications for Hospice Care

Authors

  • 張穎 (Ellen Y. ZHANG) 香港浸會大學 (Hong Kong Baptist University, HONG KONG)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24112/ijccpm.61465

Keywords:

生死學, 臨終關懷, 寧養服務, 道家, 《莊子》

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.

臨終關懷也稱為“安寧療護”、“善終服務”、“寧養服務”,主要指對生命臨終病人及其家屬進行生活護理、醫療護理、心理護理、社會服務等的關懷照顧,是現代社會一種強調身—心—靈的全人、全家、全社會、以及全程的全方位醫療方式。其目的是為臨終者及家屬提供心理及靈性上的支持照顧,使臨終者達到最佳的生活品質,並使家屬順利度過與親人分離的悲傷階段。本文以現代生死學為框架,從道家哲學,特別是《莊子》一書中所體現的生命倫理觀,探討構建道家臨終關懷的可能性與現實性。

In the past, the term “hospice” was rooted in the centuries-old idea of offering a place of shelter and rest, or “hospitality,” to weary and sick travelers on long journeys. In 1967, Dame Cicely Saunders first applied the term “hospice” to the specialized care of dying patients at St. Christopher's Hospice in London. In the contemporary world, hospice care now refers to care that is targeted specifically at terminally ill patients. Sometimes called “end-of-life” care, hospices aim to provide humane and compassionate care for people in the last phases of an incurable disease, so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible.

This essay discusses issues relating to hospice care in China, from the framework of the philosophy of death and dying and the Daoist viewpoint on life and death, as outlined in the Zhuangzi. According to Zhuangzi, the world of experience is constantly transforming and death is part of that transformation. Hence, it is possible for the adaptive qualities of the perfectly well-adjusted person to remain balanced in the midst of this maelstrom of change and transformation. This realization of the impermanence of life and the transient nature of worldly fame and wealth leads to the Daoist ethical positions of “non-attachment” (wuzhi) and “non-self” (wuwo), which can help the individual to ultimately transcend the dichotomy between life and death, or life-affirmation and life-egation.

This essay argues that a positive view towards life and death,as represented in Daoism, can help the patient and their family to deal with the pain of terminal illness. The essay also points out that good hospice care, which includes the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the patient, is an ethical and social issue that requires attention from both academia and society. The ideal model for hospice care should involve H (Hospitality), O (Organized Care), S (Symptom Control), P (Psychological Support); (Individual Care), (Communication), and E (Education).

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Published

2008-01-01

How to Cite

ZHANG, E. Y. (2008). 《莊子》的生命倫理觀與臨終關懷: Life and Death in the Zhuangzi and its Implications for Hospice Care. International Journal of Chinese &Amp; Comparative Philosophy of Medicine, 6(2), 91–108. https://doi.org/10.24112/ijccpm.61465

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