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Reductionism vs. Holism

Reductionism vs. Holism. Does a group have a “character” that is different from the individuals that make it up? A football team may consist of eleven great players and yet do badly in a league. How?. reduces complex phenomena to the interactions of their parts. Reductionism.

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Reductionism vs. Holism

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  1. Reductionism vs. Holism

  2. Does a group have a “character” that is different from the individuals that make it up?A football team may consist of eleven great players and yet do badly in a league. How?

  3. reduces complex phenomena to the interactions of their parts Reductionism a complex system is nothing but the sum of its parts Newtonian, linear

  4. thermodynamics=mechanicsheat=motion of molecules

  5. consider applying reductionism to the Human Sciences Economics Psychology Biology Physics

  6. reductive fallacies

  7. the whole is “more than” the sum of its parts organization

  8. What about the human body?

  9. Is the sum of the parts equal to the whole? Or does the “whole” have characteristics that are “more than” the sum?

  10. a few words from John Cleese: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M-vnmejwXo

  11. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Holism The whole contains properties that cannot be discovered through the analysis of parts

  12. “HOLISM is … simply the belief that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’. No one in his right mind could reject holism.“REDUCTIONISM is … simply the belief that ‘a whole can be understood completely if you understand its parts, and the nature of their “sum”’. No one in her left brain could reject reductionism.” (Hofstadter 1980: 312)

  13. how do we resolve this?

  14. Verstehen Position “the main aim of the human sciences is to understand the meaning of various social practices from the inside as they are understood by the subjects themselves.”

  15. meanings and purposes vs. causes and effects describe and understand vs. explain and predict

  16. meaning vs. mechanism

  17. please read “Predictions” p.279-280

  18. and complete the chart

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