Holism

Holism (from holos, a Greek word meaning all, entire, total) is the idea that all the properties of a given system (physical, biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, linguistic, etc.) cannot be determined or explained by its component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines in an important way how the parts behave. The general principle of holism was concisely summarized by Aristotle in the Metaphysics: "The whole is more than the sum of its parts" (1045a10). Reductionism is sometimes seen as the opposite of holism. Reductionism in science says that a complex system can be explained by reduction to its fundamental parts. For example, the processes of biology are reducible to chemistry and the laws of chemistry are explained by physics.

Klappentext

Holism (from holos, a Greek word meaning all,entire, total) is the idea that all the properties of a given system (physical, biological, chemical, social,economic, mental, linguistic, etc.) cannot be determined orexplained by its component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines in an important way how the partsbehave. The general principle of holism was conciselysummarized by Aristotle in the Metaphysics: "The whole is more thanthe sum of its parts" (1045a10). Reductionism issometimes seen as the opposite of holism. Reductionism in science says that a complex system can be explained by reductionto its fundamental parts. For example, the processes of biology are reducible to chemistry and the laws of chemistry are explained by physics.