Holism

For a definition of the suffix "-holism", see the Wiktionary entry -holism.

Holism is the interdisciplinary idea that systems possess properties as wholes apart from the properties of their component parts.[1][2][3] The aphorism "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts", typically attributed to Aristotle, is often given as a glib summary of this proposal.[4] The concept of holism can inform the methodology for a broad array of scientific fields and lifestyle practices. When applications of holism are said to reveal properties of a whole system beyond those of its parts, these qualities are referred to as emergent properties of that system. Holism in all contexts is often placed in opposition to reductionism, a dominant notion in the philosophy of science that systems containing parts contain no unique properties beyond those parts. Proponents of holism consider the search for emergent properties within systems to be demonstrative of their perspective.[5]

  1. ^ Seevnick, M.P. (2004), "Holism, physical theories and quantum mechanics", Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 35 (4): 693, arXiv:quant-ph/0402047, Bibcode:2004SHPMP..35..693S, doi:10.1016/j.shpsb.2004.08.001, S2CID 7081965.
  2. ^ Jackman, Henry (15 September 2014), Meaning Holism, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2020 Edition), archived from the original on 14 April 2023, retrieved 15 April 2023
  3. ^ Julian Tudor Hart (2010) The Political Economy of Health Care pp.106, 258
  4. ^ "Whole is greater than the sum of its parts – Lancaster Glossary of Child Development". 2019-05-22. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  5. ^ David Deutsch (14 April 2011). The Fabric of Reality. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-196961-9.