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Holism
Holism is a philosophy in which the formulation of existence and activity are conceived as parts of whole interconnected systems rather than as individual modes isolated from each other. [1]
There are many ways to describe Holism.
Jan Smuts is credited with the term. In his book
Holism and Evolution
(1926), he described it thus:
Holism is the universal principle that explains matter, life and spirit.
Holism is the philosophical theory that parts of a whole are in intimate interconnection, or cannot be understood without reference to the whole, which is thus regarded as greater than the sum of its parts. It is common to describe a major feature of holism as synergetic; the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their individual effects. ("The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.")
Holism in ecolological systems[edit]
In ecological systems,[2] Holism can be observed at multiple levels such as at:
- The Organism level,
- The Behavior level, and
- The Ecosystem level.
The tendency, very strong in reductionist modes of thinking, to classify into 'levels' or 'strata' is somewhat contrary to holistic principles, but can be understood as a convenient 'differentiations' that are related to an observer's percepetual 'scalings' which have evolved to articulate their world as they experience it. This is what the philosopher Martin Heidegger means by "Being in the world".[3]Heidegger's principle concern was with Being as the capacity to make sense of things. These capacities are different for different life forms (as can be observed, for example, in such expressions as "the pigness of a pig").[4][5]
Holism at The Organism Level[edit]
See Biological engineering and Morphogenesis Holism is also applied to mental states, language, ecology and, more recently, agroecology and agricultural practices known as regenerative agriculture.
Philosophically, Holism is the opposite of Atomism or Reductionism.
Notes and references[edit]
- ↑ See wikipedia:Holism for a more extensive description
- ↑ Ecological (adj.)relating to or concerned with the relation of living organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings
- ↑ See mw:Martin_Heidegger.
- ↑ Although Heidegger's principle concern was with a specific type of Being, the human being, (Dasein in German, which literally means 'being-there', the principles he enunciated can be productively applied more broadly.
- ↑ For a more complete understanding of what Heidegger means by, Dasein as Being-in-the-world, see This Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article].