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Created page with 'File:lighterstill.jpg ==Origin== Greek ὅλος whole *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1926 1926] ==Definitions== *1: a theory that the universe and especially li...'
[[File:lighterstill.jpg]]
==Origin==
[[Greek]] ὅλος whole
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1926 1926]
==Definitions==
*1: a [[theory]] that the [[universe]] and especially living [[nature]] is correctly seen in terms of [[interacting]] wholes (as of living [[organisms]]) that are more than the mere sum of elementary [[particles]]
==Description==
'''Holism''' (from ὂλος holos, a Greek word [[meaning]] all, whole, entire, [[total]]), is the idea that [[natural]] systems ([[physical]], [[biological]], [[chemical]], [[social]], [[economic]], [[mental]], [[linguistic]], etc.) and their properties, should be viewed as wholes, not as [[collections]] of [[parts]]. This often includes the view that systems somehow [[function]] as wholes and that their functioning cannot be fully understood solely in terms of their component parts.
The term ''holism'' was coined in 1926 by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Smuts Jan Smuts]. [[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]].
Social scientist and physician [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_A._Christakis Nicholas A. Christakis] [[explains]] that "for the last few centuries, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian Cartesian] project in [[science]] has been to break [[matter]] down into ever smaller bits, in the pursuit of [[understanding]]. And this works, to some extent...but putting things back together in order to [[understand]] them is harder, and typically comes later in the development of a scientist or in the development of science."
The term holism was coined in 1926 by Jan Smuts, a South African statesman, in his book, ''Holism and Evolution''. Smuts defined holism as "The tendency in [[nature]] to form wholes that are greater than the sum of the parts through [[creative]] [[evolution]]."
The idea has [[ancient]] [[roots]]. Examples of holism can be found throughout human [[history]] and in the most diverse socio-cultural [[contexts]], as has been confirmed by many [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnology ethnological] studies. The French Protestant missionary, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Leenhardt Maurice Leenhardt] coined the term ''cosmomorphism'' to indicate the state of [[perfect]] symbiosis with the surrounding [[environment]] which characterized the culture of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanesians Melanesians] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia New Caledonia]. For these people, an isolated [[individual]] is totally indeterminate, indistinct and featureless until he can find his [[position]] within the natural and social world in which he is inserted. The confines between the [[self]] and the world are annulled to the point that the material [[body]] itself is no guarantee of the sort of [[recognition]] of [[identity]] which is typical of our own [[culture]].
However, the concept of holism also played a pivotal role in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinoza Spinoza]'s philosophy and more recently in that of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegel Hegel] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husserl Husserl].
In the latter half of the 20th century, holism led to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking systems thinking] and its derivatives, like the sciences of [[chaos]] and [[complexity]]. Systems in [[biology]], [[psychology]], or [[sociology]] are frequently so complex that their behavior is, or appears, "new" or "emergent": it cannot be deduced from the properties of the elements alone.
Holism has thus been used as a catchword. This contributed to the resistance encountered by the scientific interpretation of holism, which insists that there are [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology ontological] reasons that prevent reductive models in [[principle]] from providing efficient [[algorithms]] for [[prediction]] of system behavior in certain classes of systems. Holism has also been described as "a soapy term which evades [[necessary]] [[conflict]]," in accordance with its inventor's philosophy of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_supremacy white supremacy] and exclusion of South Africans from political rights. Although it can also be suggested that a thinker's [[beliefs]] in one area should not be used to dismiss their beliefs in another. For example,Mahatma [[Gandhi]]'s [[racist]] beliefs should not be used to dismiss the value he placed on [[non-violent resistance]].
Scientific holism holds that the [[behavior]] of a system cannot be perfectly [[predicted]], no matter how much [[data]] is available. Natural systems can produce [[surprisingly]] unexpected behavior, and it is [[suspected]] that behavior of such systems might be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_irreducibility computationally irreducible], which means it would not be possible to even approximate the system state without a full [[simulation]] of all the [[events]] occurring in the system. Key properties of the higher level [[behavior]] of certain classes of systems may be mediated by rare "[[surprises]]" in the behavior of their elements due to the principle of [[interconnectivity]], thus evading predictions except by brute [[force]] simulation. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Wolfram Stephen Wolfram] has provided such examples with simple [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_automata cellular automata], whose behavior is in most cases equally simple, but on rare occasions highly unpredictable.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_systems Complexity theory] (also called "science of [[complexity]]"), is a contemporary heir of systems thinking. It comprises both computational and holistic, relational approaches towards understanding [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_adaptive_systems complex adaptive systems] and, especially in the latter, its [[methods]] can be seen as the polar [[opposite]] to reductive methods. General [[theories]] of complexity have been proposed, and numerous complexity institutes and departments have sprung up around the world. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_Institute Santa Fe Institute] is arguably the most famous of them.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holism]
[[Category: Philosophy]]
[[Category: Computer Science]]
==Origin==
[[Greek]] ὅλος whole
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1926 1926]
==Definitions==
*1: a [[theory]] that the [[universe]] and especially living [[nature]] is correctly seen in terms of [[interacting]] wholes (as of living [[organisms]]) that are more than the mere sum of elementary [[particles]]
==Description==
'''Holism''' (from ὂλος holos, a Greek word [[meaning]] all, whole, entire, [[total]]), is the idea that [[natural]] systems ([[physical]], [[biological]], [[chemical]], [[social]], [[economic]], [[mental]], [[linguistic]], etc.) and their properties, should be viewed as wholes, not as [[collections]] of [[parts]]. This often includes the view that systems somehow [[function]] as wholes and that their functioning cannot be fully understood solely in terms of their component parts.
The term ''holism'' was coined in 1926 by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Smuts Jan Smuts]. [[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]].
Social scientist and physician [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_A._Christakis Nicholas A. Christakis] [[explains]] that "for the last few centuries, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian Cartesian] project in [[science]] has been to break [[matter]] down into ever smaller bits, in the pursuit of [[understanding]]. And this works, to some extent...but putting things back together in order to [[understand]] them is harder, and typically comes later in the development of a scientist or in the development of science."
The term holism was coined in 1926 by Jan Smuts, a South African statesman, in his book, ''Holism and Evolution''. Smuts defined holism as "The tendency in [[nature]] to form wholes that are greater than the sum of the parts through [[creative]] [[evolution]]."
The idea has [[ancient]] [[roots]]. Examples of holism can be found throughout human [[history]] and in the most diverse socio-cultural [[contexts]], as has been confirmed by many [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnology ethnological] studies. The French Protestant missionary, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Leenhardt Maurice Leenhardt] coined the term ''cosmomorphism'' to indicate the state of [[perfect]] symbiosis with the surrounding [[environment]] which characterized the culture of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanesians Melanesians] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia New Caledonia]. For these people, an isolated [[individual]] is totally indeterminate, indistinct and featureless until he can find his [[position]] within the natural and social world in which he is inserted. The confines between the [[self]] and the world are annulled to the point that the material [[body]] itself is no guarantee of the sort of [[recognition]] of [[identity]] which is typical of our own [[culture]].
However, the concept of holism also played a pivotal role in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinoza Spinoza]'s philosophy and more recently in that of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegel Hegel] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husserl Husserl].
In the latter half of the 20th century, holism led to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking systems thinking] and its derivatives, like the sciences of [[chaos]] and [[complexity]]. Systems in [[biology]], [[psychology]], or [[sociology]] are frequently so complex that their behavior is, or appears, "new" or "emergent": it cannot be deduced from the properties of the elements alone.
Holism has thus been used as a catchword. This contributed to the resistance encountered by the scientific interpretation of holism, which insists that there are [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology ontological] reasons that prevent reductive models in [[principle]] from providing efficient [[algorithms]] for [[prediction]] of system behavior in certain classes of systems. Holism has also been described as "a soapy term which evades [[necessary]] [[conflict]]," in accordance with its inventor's philosophy of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_supremacy white supremacy] and exclusion of South Africans from political rights. Although it can also be suggested that a thinker's [[beliefs]] in one area should not be used to dismiss their beliefs in another. For example,Mahatma [[Gandhi]]'s [[racist]] beliefs should not be used to dismiss the value he placed on [[non-violent resistance]].
Scientific holism holds that the [[behavior]] of a system cannot be perfectly [[predicted]], no matter how much [[data]] is available. Natural systems can produce [[surprisingly]] unexpected behavior, and it is [[suspected]] that behavior of such systems might be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_irreducibility computationally irreducible], which means it would not be possible to even approximate the system state without a full [[simulation]] of all the [[events]] occurring in the system. Key properties of the higher level [[behavior]] of certain classes of systems may be mediated by rare "[[surprises]]" in the behavior of their elements due to the principle of [[interconnectivity]], thus evading predictions except by brute [[force]] simulation. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Wolfram Stephen Wolfram] has provided such examples with simple [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_automata cellular automata], whose behavior is in most cases equally simple, but on rare occasions highly unpredictable.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_systems Complexity theory] (also called "science of [[complexity]]"), is a contemporary heir of systems thinking. It comprises both computational and holistic, relational approaches towards understanding [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_adaptive_systems complex adaptive systems] and, especially in the latter, its [[methods]] can be seen as the polar [[opposite]] to reductive methods. General [[theories]] of complexity have been proposed, and numerous complexity institutes and departments have sprung up around the world. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_Institute Santa Fe Institute] is arguably the most famous of them.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holism]
[[Category: Philosophy]]
[[Category: Computer Science]]