Purpose and Goals of the Foundation

The aim of the Foundation here is to define the principles of homeopathy in an understandable way, in modern language and on the knowledge base of the 21st century, in order to create a working basis for future development.

Definition of Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a holistic drug therapy with an independent methodology of individualized drug diagnosis and prescription. The therapeutic goal is the targeted stimulation of the physiological self-regulation (stimulus-response model) through controlled drug administration, which should help the patient to overcome the disorder by his own efforts and to develop a greater robustness against the disease-causing stimuli.

More about the models of self-regulation

Basic understanding of homeopathy

Homeopathy is considered an important pillar of complementary and alternative medicine worldwide and is counted among the special therapeutic directions in German drug law. The premises of homeopathy go back to observations of nature and practical research conducted by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann at the beginning of the 19th century. He described his findings in the form of a systematic methodology, thus making the homeopathic principle practicable as medical drug therapy for the first time. The premises consist of several, not separable, specifications:

• primarily phenomenological diagnosis
• individualization of the disease process
• remedy diagnosis according to the Simile principle (principle of similarity)
• prescription of single remedies
• Process analysis of the course of the disease with re-evaluation (systematic extension by Hering).

These elements have been part of the basic theoretical and practical understanding of homeopathy since its foundation by Samuel Hahnemann.

Scientific theory of homeopathy

From the current point of view, the following seven pillars exist for the further development of a precise terminology on homeopathy beyond its premises:

• Systems theory develops a very good vocabulary in terms of scientific theory, which can help to describe the homeopathic paradigms - Ludwig von Bertalanffy et al.
• The concept of the new phenomenology - Norbert Schmitz
• Findings of scientific methodology on intersubjectivity as a scientific-theoretical criterion of the practitioner-patient encounter - many authors
• The bio-psycho-social model of psychosomatics - Jakob and Thure von Uexküll et al.
• The insights of Gestalt theory - several authors
• The Cognitive based Medicine as a basis of individual case research - Helmut Kiene
• A differentiated ethics in medicine - many authors

For the comprehensive concept of practice to the theory of science in homeopathic medicine, four cornerstones of epistemology are additionally irreplaceable:

• Clinical phenomenology - importance of symptoms for diagnosis.
• Dialectics in diagnosis & re-evaluation - clinical algorithms and decision-making processes
• Hermeneutics in disease theory - understanding what it means to be and to be ill
• Empiricism and analytics - the certainty of external evidence

In addition, there is an overarching analysis of all the findings of placebo research and their relevance to the treatment of ill people.

In its 225-year history of development (as of 2021), homeopathy and its paradigms, in the light of medical progress, have always been exposed to fierce and in part also very unobjective criticism. In addition to the necessity of a well-founded and self-critical assessment of the current situation, there is also the natural need for further development of an already proven method in the sense of progress in knowledge. Precisely this, however, requires a careful examination of the criticism of homeopathy.

The concrete points of criticism

The criticism is historically based on the rejection of the Simile principle, the holistic approach and the lack of material evidence of active substances in potentized remedies. While the first two arguments are nowadays "softened" (and ultimately not tenable), the third point as the all-important argument "where there is nothing in it, nothing can work" is currently all the more vehemently invoked. Historically, the development of homeopathy over the centuries can be described as cyclically repeating waves of bloom and decline, which have reached new dimensions in the age of the Internet.

More about the historical development of homeopathy

Justified criticism and background

A justified criticism is that homeopathy as a procedure is not a protected term and thus, historically evolved, is anything but a clearly defined method. Accordingly, there is often a confusion among the proponents that is not conducive to the cause, with sometimes abstruse theoretical models that often no longer have much to do with the principles of homeopathy itself. The solution to this problem lies in a well-founded, objective and self-critical assessment of the situation.

The positive development despite all criticism

In favor of homeopathy speaks its great therapeutic potential, which, despite all the criticism of the opponents and differences of opinion among the proponents, is shown in practice on the patient again and again and has proven itself in the course of time as a real help for very many diseases. This was and is perceived and appreciated by millions of patients worldwide and is an essential reason why homeopathy continued to exist despite all "headwinds".

Ethically, homeopathy is part of a basic ecological concept, which perceives humans, animals and plants in the relationships within their environment and wants to analyze and understand them in their respective complexity. In practice, every homeopathic practitioner, whether physician, alternative practitioner, midwife or pharmacist, follows the Hippocratic principle primum non nocere, secundum cavere, tertium sanare .

More about ethics in medicine

Science and practice - these two terms are not opposites. Rather, it is about a scientific attitude that is open to well-founded criticism, to regard one's own argumentation as always provisional and not as absolutely and finally verified. Only in this way can currently valid working hypotheses be understood and constantly developed further on the basis of advancing knowledge. Therefore, errors and their corrections are important features of a systematic approach in order to constantly improve itself and the work as a whole.

More about the scientific way of working

Scientific research and homeopathy

The modern understanding of homeopathy includes the tools of the humanities, and thus all aspects of epistemology, in addition to the findings from numerous specific areas of the basic sciences, especially physics. The breadth of this approach requires a fair discussion of the various theories and hypotheses in scientific pluralism. In other words, the fundamental right to free research and teaching for the benefit of the development of cost-reducing, interdisciplinary medicine for humans and animals without interference from the state. Only in this way can those research approaches and investigation methods be (further) developed which are best suited for the understanding and development of homeopathy.

More about research approaches and investigation methods

For about 200 years, homeopathy has enjoyed a high reputation among patients worldwide as one of the essential, complementary medical treatment methods. Its self-image is humane and animal-friendly, has few side effects and can be environmentally friendly if practiced correctly and competently, with a scientific approach.

More about the conception of man in therapy

This is a holistically oriented medicinal therapy with an independent methodology and prescription theory. This is understood as a minimally invasive intervention, based on a patient-oriented individualization of the disease process. This requires a broad knowledge of theoretical and practical medicine as well as a sound knowledge of homeopathic principles, a know-how of practical methodology and a deep knowledge of homeopathic pharmacology.

More about the premises and self-understanding of homeopathy and about homeopathic methodology.

In the future, homeopathy, as an individualizing medicinal therapy, is to be developed and applied even more than before in an interdisciplinary cooperation with conventional medicine for the benefit of patients, in order to alleviate suffering wherever possible without causing harm.

In summary, the Foundation is therefore primarily committed to these overriding goals:

• The Hippocratic guiding principle: primum non nocere, secundum cavere, tertium sanare
• A scientifically open attitude
• A critical analysis of the current state of knowledge
• Factual and well-founded information on methodology and including its criticism
• The presentation of extensive therapeutic know-how for conscientious practice

The purpose of the Foundation is to promote science and research, to promote public health and public health care, and to promote education, in each case in the field of complementary medicine. This is done, for example, by evaluating appropriate ethics concepts for eligible projects or by developing competency profiles [1] for practice standards.

Read more about the foundation

Organs of the Foundation

Interdisciplinary cooperation between homeopathic and conventional medicine can only be promoted if the scientific basis of homeopathy is defined on the knowledge base of the 21st century, a well-founded, objective and self-critical assessment of the current situation has been elaborated and this scientific approach is also applied in practice. Thus, the Constantin Hering Foundation has made it its goal to increase knowledge about complementary approaches and, in the light of the seven pillars, to support the science and research of homeopathy and to advance it critically, in this spirit.

[1] A competence profile describes the professional skills in their context, which are (should be) available to perform an activity.