Can Hahnemann’s Understanding of the Human Organism Provide Helpful Ideas for the Mode of Action of Homeopathic Remedies?

Background: According to Hahnemann, the force of a homeopathic remedy is of the same nature as the vital force of the treated organism. Recently, concepts describing non-physical causes have been introduced again in the scientific discussion in the life sciences. Therefore, we investigated the following questions: (1) Can Hahnemann’s idea of a vital force be used as a scientific concept today? (2) Does Hahnemann’s concept of a vital force include aspects potentially relevant for understanding the mode of action of homeopathic remedies? Methods: We analyzed the written texts of Hahnemann from 1829, when he first characterized the vital force, until 1842. We checked for consistent usage of the term Lebenskraft (vital force), extracted its meaning and its epistemological classification, compared the findings with knowledge from modern biology, and investigated possible consequences regarding the mode of action of homeopathic remedies. Results: Hahnemann used the concept of the vital force consistently. It denotes an entity that acts quantitatively as a force, but also qualitatively by regulating physiological processes. This notion matches the concepts of agency and orchestration in biology and is therefore compatible with modern biology. The wholeness of the living body, postulated by Hahnemann, follows from the orchestrating entity acting as a nonlocal unifying principle, which regulates molecular processes. Presuming that the force of a homeopathic remedy is of the same nature as the vital force, the latter’s specific properties, which cannot be deduced from physical or chemical laws, must be taken into account. Conclusion: Hahnemann’s concept of a vital force still appears to be suitable as a scientific concept today. The idea of a nonlocal orchestrating entity, which qualitatively organizes biological processes, potentially provides a noteworthy aspect helpful for understanding the mode of action of homeopathic remedies.