Everything about Holon Philosophy totally explained
A
holon (
Greek:
holos, "whole") is something that's simultaneously a
whole and a
part. The word was
coined by
Arthur Koestler in his book
The Ghost in the Machine (1967, p. 48).
General definition
A holon is a
system (or
phenomenon) that's a whole in itself as well as a part of a larger system. It can be conceived as systems nested within each other. Every system can be considered a holon, from a
subatomic particle to the
universe as a whole. On a non-physical level, words, ideas, sounds, emotions—everything that can be identified—is simultaneously part of something, and can be viewed as having parts of its own, similar to
sign in regard of
semiotics.
Since a holon is embedded in larger wholes, it's influenced by and influences these larger wholes. And since a holon also contains subsystems, or parts, it's similarly influenced by and influences these parts. Information flows bidirectionally between smaller and larger systems as well as rhizomatic
contagion. When this bidirectionality of
information flow and understanding of role is compromised, for whatever reason, the system begins to break down: wholes no longer recognize their dependence on their
subsidiary parts, and parts no longer recognize the organizing authority of the wholes.
Cancer may be understood as such a breakdown in the biological
realm.
A
hierarchy of holons is called a
holarchy. The holarchic model can be seen as an attempt to modify and modernise perceptions of natural hierarchy.
Ken Wilber comments that the test of holon hierarchy (for example holarchy) is that if a type of holon is removed from existence, then all other holons of which it formed a part must necessarily cease to exist too. Thus an atom is of a lower standing in the hierarchy than a molecule, because if you removed all molecules, atoms could still exist, whereas if you removed all atoms, molecules, in a strict sense would cease to exist. Wilber's concept is known as the doctrine of the
fundamental and the
significant. A hydrogen atom is more fundamental than an ant, but an ant is more significant.
The doctrine of the fundamental and the significant are contrasted by the
radical rhizome oriented
pragmatics of
Deleuze and
Guattari, and other
continental philosophy.
Applications
Ecology
The concept of the holon is used in
environmental philosophy,
ecology and
human ecology.
Ecosystems are often seen as holons within one or many holarchies. Holons are seen as open subsystems of systems of higher order, with a continuum from the cell to the
ecosphere.
Philosophy of history
In the
philosophy of history, a holon is a historical event that makes other historical events inevitable. A holon is a
controversial concept, in that some reject the inevitability of any historical event. A special category of holon is
technology, which implies a perspective on how technologies have the potential to dictate history.
Psychology and Human Development
Holonics is a generic term in psychology that refers to the theory of
spiral dynamics. In this context it refers to the development of cultural value systems which are discrete in themselves (
memes) and also part of a larger value system ("memeplex"). A simple characterisation which is familiar to some is
Maslow's hierarchy of needs in which a basic value system is "I must eat", which once satisfied remains, but is added to with "I want friends".
Further Information
Get more info on 'Holon Philosophy'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://holon__philosophy.totallyexplained.com">Holon (philosophy) Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
