Holism

A second point on which the authors in this anthology agree is that reductionism, as successful as it has been on a host of counts, is seriously inadequate. It must be supplemented with more holistic science. To understand nature in all its vicissitudes, methods from the most reductionist to the least reductionist must be used. Hence, anti-reductionists are forced, like it or not, to advocate pluralism. For example, Robert Williams concludes that We must not despise reductionism. However, it has to be put in a proper perspective . Too often reductionism and anti-reductionism are presented as if they are in diametric opposition when all that separates them is degree of emphasis. As Alfred Tauber observes, reductionism and holism cannot be defined in isolation from each other. An unsteady balance exists between the two. Holism and reductionism are inexorably coupled and cannot be defined independent of each other . As a result, like so many other contributors to this volume, he embraces a pluralistic approach . 

Here I want to draw the implications of this position for understanding the relationship of biomedical reductionism as the dominant positivist orientation to holism - in this case, the restitution of the intact person to his or her full personhood. I maintain the following ... 

Lawrence, C. and Weisz, G. (1998), Medical holism the context , in C. Lawrence and G. Weisz (Eds), Greater than the Parts. Holism in Biomedicine 1920-1950, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, pp. 1-22. 

Harrington, Anne. 1996. Reenchanted Science Holism in German Culture from Wilhelm II to Hitler. Princeton Princeton University Press. 

Contents Open Problems of the Present-Day Theoretical Chemistry. - On the Structure of Scientific Theories. - Pioneer Quantum Mechanics and its Interpretation. - Beyond Pioneer Quantum Mechanics. - A Framework for Theoretical Chemistry. - Reductionism, Holism and Complementarity. - Bibliography and Author Index. - Index. 

Drayer DE, Reidenherg MM Meta holism of tetralin and toxicity of Cuprex in man. Drag Metab Dispos 1 577-579, 1973... 

The term emergence describes the onset of novel properties that arise when a higher level of complexity is formed from components of lower complexity, where these properties are not present. This is often summarized in the popular assertion that the whole is more than the sum of the parts , and/or with the vague term holism . 

It has been suggested that microbial cata holism of off-flavor metabolites may be enhanced to provide an effective method ) control off-flavors. Indeed, microbial cultures have been reported to degrade relatively high levels of off-flavor metabolites (53, 54, 55), but whether microbial activity can be used practically to improve the flavor quality of aquaculture systems remains to be determined. 

Rowe, J.S. 1997. From reductionism to holism in ecology and deep ecology. The Ecologist 27 147-151. 

Before describing the details of the mechanism of action of homeopathic potencies in the living system we would discuss first the scientific basis of some aspects peculiar to Homeopathy. These are lateralities, time modalities, similia principle, non-linear systems, miasms, polycrests and holism. 

We have already mentioned under introduction that homeopathy involves holism. During selection of a homeopathic remedy, all the physical and mental... 

Holism is a controversial issue. Some holists maintain that the smallest unit which can be understood in itself is a comprehensive theory or the whole language. Some of their adversaries allege that all concepts can be understood on their own. My position is in between. And it is not part of it which party is more right than the other one. 

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