(Naruto) Chakra: Magic or Science?

[PokettoKunoichi]

You know, I've been wondering what chakra from Naruto really is.

In an interview, the person who made Naruto said chakra is like MP and handsigns is like the chant, except they use hands. But in the anime they show complex demonstrations. You have an extra system in your body, the handsigns do something to it, and out comes the jutsu.

So, what do you think?

[Monkey J. Luffy]

I think that you are putting too much thought into this.

[Debitt]

I think Naruto is fantasy and requires a healthy dose of 'suspension of disbelief'.

[Nate]

What everyone else said. "Chakra" is from the Hindu religion and basically amounts to "life energy" (though it's a bit more complicated to that, I'll let you research it if you want). It doesn't let you make clones of yourself or control water or breathe fire. So basically in the Naruto universe Chakra is essentially a form of magic.

Remember. Every time something happens that doesn't make sense, a wizard did it.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

That all said, it's worth pointing out that in many fantasy settings, magic acts as that world's form of "science."

[uc pseudonym]

Magic. There may be some basic explanations, but they're divorced from science and generally free to ignore rules of logic. Consider just how many different things chakra can do: that's an excuse for supernatural power, not a fictional extension of science.

[Nate]

That all said, it's worth pointing out that in many fantasy settings, magic acts as that world's form of "science."

I can't remember where I read it, but I remember reading a comic that basically said that there's no difference between fantasy and science fiction, because anything a magic spell can do can be duplicated by technology in a futuristic setting.

[mitsuki lover]

There seems to be some sort of science to it.At least in the Naruto Universe.Remember on at least one occasion Kakashi or someone else has talked about how the chakra flow is like the blood stream in a person's body.
On the other hand,as others have said,remember this is simply fantasy and has no relation to the real world.

[uc pseudonym]

Explained does not mean scientific. Hunter x Hunter has an unusually complex system of energy that is much more logical than some others, but it still has no real science to it and hence serves the same function as magic. There are fantasy worlds with elaborate magic systems as well.

I can't remember where I read it, but I remember reading a comic that basically said that there's no difference between fantasy and science fiction, because anything a magic spell can do can be duplicated by technology in a futuristic setting.

I'm among the people who like to distinguish between "science fantasy," where instead of a wizard it's a scientist that did it, and "science fiction," which implies an actual basis in science. Isaac Asimov is science fiction, Star Wars is off the science fantasy end.

[minakichan]

Chakra is like chi, partially science, partially magic, partially religion.

How did I get there? Chakra and chi are both used in religious practices for meditation, etc, but meditation in itself is not necessarily always religious. Both have very mystical, mythical elements that are embroidered in their respective cultures.

However, to say that both are religious/magic and therefore fictitious is not necessarily true. Chi, for example (not so knowledgeable on chakra, sorry, but you can apply this to DBZ instead of Naruto) has been used effectively in nonspiritual healing and increasing health and power countless times over history; a common example is in kung fu or similar martial arts schools, in which doing proper chi exercises can help one to break objects with no power, for example. In this way, it's not necessarily supernatural; it could very well be a user-inflicted physical alteration on the body. Chi's principles may be used in medicine such as chiropractic medicine or acupuncture; some practitioners, for example, might study chi the same way they study pressure points. There have even been some purely scientific "biophysics" studies on chi, although these are rare.

But yes, you cannot make a shadow clone of yourself with chakra.

[Fish and Chips]

Where's the "Plot device" option?

It's an excuse to hand wave all "How can I clone myself?" type questions the author routinely receives in large numbers

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Magic. There may be some basic explanations, but they're divorced from science and generally free to ignore rules of logic. Consider just how many different things chakra can do: that's an excuse for supernatural power, not a fictional extension of science.

Not saying a science as in it has to follow our world's reasons and logic but science in the sense that is a defined set of rules (to one extent or another) that the whole schebang adheres to. You can test the method over and over again and odds are you will get the same result. The same application of your chakra energy in conjunction with these handsigns will generally net you a clone of yourself. The same application of these chemicals will net a reaction that makes a satisfying kaboom.

The divorce comes at understanding that it doesn't necessarily have to stick to the rules of our slightly more mundane rules. And was it not Arthur C. Clarke who said (in regards to writing Science Fiction) that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"?

[uc pseudonym]

Not saying a science as in it has to follow our world's reasons and logic but science in the sense that is a defined set of rules (to one extent or another) that the whole schebang adheres to. You can test the method over and over again and odds are you will get the same result. The same application of your chakra energy in conjunction with these handsigns will generally net you a clone of yourself. The same application of these chemicals will net a reaction that makes a satisfying kaboom.

I'll grant that chakra may be scientific, but that isn't the same thing as being science. According to this definition, the question has no meaning, because any system of magic can follow a defined set of rules and have established cause and effect.

[mitsuki lover]

The thing we need to remember is the definition of chakra needs to be in consistence with the Naruto universe and all that we know about the Naruto universe.These is why in the Naruto universe it can be treated as science and not just magic.
At the same time it is acknowledged that chakra also as a mystic element to it.Though this does not make it any less scientific.In fact many science elements in the Real every day world of ours also may have certain mystical qualities to them that we either are not aware of or ignore to our detriment.After all what is more mystical than the concept of Physics?

[Etoh*the*Greato]

I'll grant that chakra may be scientific, but that isn't the same thing as being science. According to this definition, the question has no meaning, because any system of magic can follow a defined set of rules and have established cause and effect.

Which is pretty much what I'm getting at. Magic in a fantasy setting usually equates to one of that world's forms of science. Part of science is not only what I posted above but also the study of the world around us and more often than not the magic of a particular setting is intrinsic to a scientific-ish knowledge of the world around you. The best example of this that I can think of is Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series. In Naruto's case it'd be an aspect of biology. I'm not saying they're science in our world, just in the worlds that they're intended for. And yeah, there is also a definite mystic aspect to it. I don't think the two are mutually exclusive.

[minakichan]

I think we have to redefine what we mean by "science."

Example: in various sci-fi anime, using a "electromagnetospectroscopic quantorelativistic chronotechnoquarkifying multiantidimensional nanoparticle accelerator STRATOPRAGNIFOR AMTPXX5600" to turn back time by teleporting to an alternate universe is extremely scientific, but it's ridiculous technobabble in the real world.

[Azier the Swordsman]

It's not magic at all. It was simply midi-chlorians in the bloodstream all along.