The Historical Logic of the Development of Medical Humanities in China and Its Implications for Integrated Talent Strategies

Abstract

The development of medical humanities in China has followed a distinctive historical trajectory shaped by indigenous intellectual traditions, modern transformations, and changing conceptions of medicine and humanity. Unlike the relatively linear evolution of medical humanities in Western contexts, the Chinese experience reflects a complex interplay between classical medical thought, moral philosophy, social governance, and modern scientific paradigms. In recent years, the strategic emphasis on the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent—particularly as articulated in China’s long-term modernization agenda—has renewed scholarly interest in the historical foundations of humanistic approaches to medicine. This paper examines the historical logic of medical humanities in China from a perspective of intellectual history, focusing on its conceptual origins, evolutionary phases, and underlying value orientations. By tracing the continuity and transformation of humanistic thought in Chinese medicine, the study seeks to summarize key historical experiences that can inform contemporary reflections on talent cultivation at the level of ideas and values. Rather than addressing institutional or technological issues, the paper highlights how historical insights from Chinese medical humanities can enrich the conceptual understanding of integrated talent development in the present era.