2nd Wave of Philosophy

D.D. Palmer wrote extensively on anatomy, physiology, and philosophy, in his magnum opus Textbook of The Science, Art, and Philosophy of Chiropractic (on Spine: The Chiropractor’s Adjustor). In the book, Palmer attacks his rivals and establishes his own definitions, especially in terms of a philosophical outlook based upon a Universal Intelligence, which is the ocean to the drop of Innate Intelligence. The chiropractic adjustment and its ability to regulate tone through the vibrations of the nervous system, which expresses as health, is central to his philosophy. He also seriously considered turning chiropractic into a religion in order to circumvent the legal question.

Some important analyses of his roots, his ideas, and his writings are available online:

Palmer’s writings on philosophy, morality, and religion are explored from an integral perspective in several of Dr. Senzon’s books and courses, as well as two online articles: Root of Subluxation & Roots in Morality.

B.J. Palmer formed the United Chiropractor’s Association in 1906 to defend jailed chiropractors. After the landmark Morikubo trial of 1907, he realized the importance of philosophy in establishing the “separate and distinct” legal status of chiropractic. He had the faculty grant him the first PhC degree. He also added philosophy to his 1906 book’s title. By 1909 he had published a book called, The Philosophy of Chiropractic (volume V). With printers ink, he was not only selling chiropractic to the world, but establishing his philosophical viewpoint as the dominant one in the profession. This dominance would last until 1924. To learn more about B.J. Palmer’s life and writings, we recommend the following online sources:

Joy Loban was the head of the philosophy department of the Palmer School of Chiropractic in the early days. He went on to found the Universal Chiropractic College in 1910 and was the executor of D.D. Palmer’s will. Loban unfortunately was the one who sought grand jury indictments against B.J. Palmer for homicide in regards to his father’s death. B.J. was never charged. The case would hang over his head throughout his life. Two credible witnesses at the infamous 1913 parade claimed that B.J. never bumped his father with the car, which allegedly lead to his death of typhoid fever many months later.

In his biography of B.J. Palmer, Keating wrote on the subject, “At one point, BJ. approached the Founder in the parade’s second car. As B.J.’s automobile neared, Old Dad Chiro stumbled, and was helped to his feet by Sylva Ashworth,” a 1910 Palmer graduate who was visiting from Nebraska. Years later Ashworth related to her grandson that nothing more had transpired. Morris would testify in court that no collision had occurred. But the episode was twisted into a tale of deliberate assault by BJ upon his father with the automobile.”

Keating continues, “Unsubstantiated rumors, perhaps instigated by the UCC leadership, soon circulated that the elder Palmer had been rushed to a hospital as a result of his “injury:’ although he was well enough to say good-bye to friends the next day and to board the train with his wife for the return trip to their home in California. Nothing more might have been made about the incident, had not D.D. contracted typhoid fever and died on October 20, 1913 in Los Angeles. Joy M. Loban, D.C., founding father of the UCC, had been appointed executor of D.D. Palmer’s estate, and would set in motion a fabrication that extended the war between the Palmers beyond the Founder’s life span.” p.98

In 1908, Loban wrote about the philosophy of chiropractic in the Palmer school journal, The Chiropractor. He wrote, how it went, “far beyond the limits of either Theology or Materialism – to the first and Absolute Cause. Chiropractic has investigated and explained that mysterious and elusive thing men call the Soul; it elucidates “Nature” which has been used for generations as a name for the unknowable; it has taken the forces and energies which move and wield and reconstruct the elements, and has shown what they are, their purpose, and how they act in absolute obedience to an Intelligence, which is all-pervading; it ventures into the realm of (so-called) occult phenomena and proves them to be simply action in obedience to easily understood laws.” As cited in Albanese’s Nature Religion in America (1999, p.147)

(The photo above pictures B.J. and Morris in the lead car in the 1913 parade just passing the UCC.)

When Willard Carver was a boy, he had a delivery job and often went to the Palmer’s home. Carver claims to remember B.J. from when he was just a baby. He later went on to become a lawyer. He helped in the legal separation between father and son in 1906. Carver became a chiropractor and like many of his classmates, formed his own school.

AP-DavisD.D. Palmer showed his expertise in anatomy and physiology in his extensive disputes with AP Davis. Davis was a medical doctor, a naturopathic doctor, as well as an osteopath before he studied chiropractic under D.D. Palmer. In fact, he authored two books on Osteopathy before studying under Palmer.

Gregory created his own technique after studying with D.D. Palmer and opening a school with him in Oklahoma. Some of Gregory’s books are available online: