5.6. Holism and systems philosophy.

Lecture



This topic is proposed for discussion about the role of the whole in human development by comparing the ideas about the whole system philosophy and holism.

? The concepts of the whole system philosophy based on the material of the previous sections of this publication can be summarized as follows.

In the medium, integers exist along with non-integers (not yet integers or no longer integers) and non-integers (which are not integers by definition). The integrity and integrity of parts of the environment is manifested for us only in connection with their activities, i.e. activity caused by the actualization of any problems of survival, preservation and development.

The whole is not the goal of development, the whole is considered as a way and / or means of survival, preservation and development of parts of the environment, combined into a whole set. At the same time, each part of the whole has its own activity paradigm. The goals of implementing our own paradigm of existence are different from the goals of the whole, which for a part of the whole are the missionary goals of the “common good”. Therefore, the whole develops in the direction of the whole.

Holistic whole in the format of the system philosophy is the best combination of survival, preservation and development methods that we have established. But the evidence of this statement does not exclude the existence of parts of the environment for which the destruction of other parts of the environment that have formed together with them is the best way (means) for survival, preservation and development. For example, for humans, the destruction of the planet’s natural environment (and in the foreseeable future, the Cosmic environment), into which it is included, as a part, is by far the best way (means) for survival, preservation and development in the sense of the chosen criteria for the optimality of knowledge consumed , goods, services. This, by the way, is an example of the implementation of the Rules for External Development Potential. Of course, in this case, one of the main problems is the streamlining of the selection processes for these criteria.

And while it is not known whether a person needs to create an integral whole with his Planet or he has to destroy it and further. So far, the emergence of new difficulties in the processes of survival, preservation and development of man in the natural environment leads to (forced) improvement of human intelligence. It is possible that in the process of development man will destroy the natural environment and create in its place an artificial holistic and whole environment, as the best way (means) of the total with the environment of survival, preservation and development.

Then the implementation of the ideas of V.I. Vernadsky's noospheric development will be realized not in unity with the natural environment, but in unity with the artificial environment that needs to be created as a whole, using the natural environment of the Planet and then the Cosmic environment as a source of resources. Then the human mind will become the mind of the Planet and the sphere of the mind will develop to the required format - to the format of the “noosphere of the Planet”, and, further, the “noosphere of the Cosmos” (near reach, far, etc.). And perhaps there is no turning back.

After all, the world in which we live and of which we are, according to religious beliefs, is the world created by the Creator, i.e. artificial world.

In this case, the system philosophy is the paradigm of the interaction of the soul, mind, human mind with the environment of existence.

? Let us turn to the notions of holism. Let us cite several quotes from the works of the author of the idea of ​​holism, Y. H. Smuts.

“Holism is a theory that considers the existence of" whole "the main feature of the world. It considers animate and inanimate natural objects as integrity, and not only as sums of elements or parts. She sees the nature as consisting of separate concrete bodies and things, and not as a diffuse homogeneous continuum. All these bodies cannot be fully reduced to their parts; in one degree or another, they are integrity, which is something more than just the sum of its parts; the mechanical connection of their parts does not create them and does not explain their character and behavior. Parts are in fact not real, rather, they are abstract analytical differences that do not express exactly what happens when a given thing arises as a whole.

The whole and the parts are in mutual influence and mutual change ... The parts are formed by the whole and adapt to it, while the whole, in turn, depends on the cooperation of its parts ...

First, matter, life and mind are not composed of frozen and unchanging elements; secondly, besides the parts or elements that make up things, there is another active factor that is not recognized by science - the whole.

Evolution is the sequential complication of parts or interacting elements, with simultaneous strengthening of the unity connecting them. This is an ascending series of integers, from the simplest material structure to the most developed ... Integrity, or holistic, characterizes the process of evolution to an increasing degree. This process is continuous in the sense that the old types of integrity, or structures, are not discarded, but become starting points and elements of new, more perfect. So, material chemical structures are embedded in biological, that and others - in mental structures and integrity ... Electrons and protons, atoms and molecules, inorganic and organic compounds, colloids, protoplasm, plants, animals, minds and personalities are steps in this deployment. holism. "

? Holism [40] - “the concept associated with the development in the 20th century. system methodology and system paradigm in cognition. Can be viewed in different perspectives: how

1) the methodological principle, according to which "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts". It opposes reductionism, which seeks the specifics of the whole in its constituent parts and reduces the universe to a set of some primary elements. The holistic position consists in the priority consideration of the whole from the point of view of the new qualities arising from the interaction of elements in the system or the integral properties that are absent in the ingredients constituting the system. Isolation and consideration of such properties allows us to differentiate the system according to the nature of the interaction of its elements into additive or summative (in them the whole is equal to the sum of its parts - these are different kinds of aggregates, mechanical mixtures, etc.) and emergent or integral (systems with special qualities - these are, for example, organic, living systems, psychological, social, etc.). Reductionism and holism, as analysis and synthesis, should be considered as two complementary cognitive techniques that are effective in solving relevant problems. On the one hand, reductionism makes it possible to solve the structural plan of the problem and to find connections between higher levels and lower levels. In turn, holism is good at recreating a holistic picture of an object or phenomenon, especially in a functional sense. The holistic approach is very important in terms of cognition, as in any system, even additive, there is an interaction between the elements. Otherwise they would not be systems. It is another matter that, depending on the tasks of consideration, these connections can be neglected, for example, because of their insignificance, or for a number of other reasons specified in the study. Both reductionism and holism, as cognitive receptions, are widely used in various knowledge systems, both natural science and socio-humanitarian (psychology, sociology, linguistics, etc.). However, each of these techniques may be hypertrophied. Then the reductionist position will completely reduce the higher to the lowest, will refuse the highest forms in specificity and independence. In such a reductionist paradigm, mechanism, physicalism, and biologism develop (when considering social systems). Absolutization of integrity can lead to separation of the highest from the lowest, both structurally and genetically-evolutionary. This makes it impossible for scientific knowledge to know the higher manifestations of being: organic living matter, psychological and social systems. Organicism, vitalism, emergentism, holism, etc. develop on this methodological basis.

2) the doctrine of integrity, formulated by the South African philosopher J.H. Smatsom in the work "Holism and Evolution" (1926). The originality of the teaching consists in the hypertrophication of the formula “the whole is greater than its parts” up to the exclusive priority of the whole over its parts. The highest ontological ideal in X. recognizes the integrity of the world, manifested in the psychological, biological and physical perspectives. In this case, integrity is considered both in qualitative and organizational terms. The central concept of holism is the category of "whole". It is assumed that this category can replace traditionally recognized in philosophy as the extremely broad categories “material” and “ideal”, “objective” and “subjective”, synthesizing them in its content. The whole, the integrity is proclaimed "the last reality of the universe," further incompatible and unknowable. This world substance underlies the evolution of the world, creating new integrity. A carrier of all organic properties is declared a sensually unperceivable material field, which remains constant for all changes in the body. The highest form of organic integrity is the human person. The concept of holism had a noticeable influence on Bergson’s “creative evolution” model, Whitehead’s process philosophy, phenomenology, Gestalt psychology, science philosophy.

? It is proposed in the process of studying independently:

- apply perception and impact approaches to describe the possibilities of implementing each of the postulates of holism,

- check the holism postulates for mutual conformity with the postulates and definitions of the holistic method of system technology,

- to analyze the possibility of applying holism for specific practices.

In the development of tasks for conducting independent and research work, the main attention will be paid to a critical comparison of ideas about the whole system philosophy and holism with other ideas about the formation and implementation of a holistic and whole activity.


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System analysis (systems philosophy, systems theory)

Terms: System analysis (systems philosophy, systems theory)