Holism & Reductionism

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Holism and reductionism represent two paradigms or worldviews within science and philosophy that provide fundamentally different accounts as how to best view, interpret and reason about the world around us. Reductionism places an emphasis on the constituent parts of a system, while holism places an emphasis on the whole system.
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[@slickxbt]

Thank you so much for this video, I don't know why it has so little views, it's amazingly well done. It help me clarify some stuff for uni coursework. Cheers!

[@theoptimisticnihilist3912]

George Mihail Vasile Yeah what he said, excellent video and playlist. I am writing a novel set in both the near and far future, and this video gave me some great insight on how to write about their social infrastructure. I love your channel.

[@AbbieOnealsongs]

Totally agree, amazing thank you

[@armandomet]

Because as much as I hate to admit it, most people aren't interested in comprehending the formal and material attributes of the Universe. In short: they lack CURIOSITY.

[@TheEternalOuroboros]

@@theoptimisticnihilist3912 What's the novel called?

[@theroarofthewoundelioness]

I can't thank you enough this was the best I can now explain the concept of holism and reductionism even if I'm nodding off

[@donoflee]

Great video and sources list. Thanks. The video overlooks a few basic points worth mentioning. For example at @0:44, the video should also mention that with reductionist approaches, the parts are considered completely independent and self sufficient. In fact the properties of the parts are also completely independent and self sufficient. By contrast in a holistic system, the parts and properties are interdependent.

[@PaulOConnellthePOW]

Donald Lee Good point

[@naturezaesferica]

OMG the more I listen to this channel videos the more everything pieces itself together. Mindblown.

[@hyperduality2838]

Reductionism is dual to holism, subjective is dual to objective, relative is dual to absolute. The word entropy means "a tendency to diverge" or differentiate into new states, reductionsim. The word syntropy means "a tendency to converge" or integrate into a single state, holism. Divergence is dual to convergence, differentiation is dual to integration, division is dual to unity. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! Teleological physics (syntropy) is dual to non-teleological physics (entropy). Randomness (entropy) is dual to order (syntropy, predictability). Wholes (generalization) is dual to parts (localization) -- Holons. Mind (the internal soul, syntropy) is dual to matter (the external soul, entropy) -- Descartes. Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. The intellectual mind/soul (concepts) is dual to the sensory mind/soul (percepts) -- the mind duality of Thomas Aquinas. Bosons (waves) are dual to Fermions (particles) -- quantum or matter duality. Mind duality is dual to matter duality. "Always two there are" -- Yoda.

[@Julian-tf8nj]

Quantum mechanics is a good example of the struggle of Holism vs. Reductionism. There's a desire for an objective, reductionist approach... but, guess what, the observer is very much part of the system, and cannot observe a quantum phenomenon without influencing it

[@hyperduality2838]

Reductionism is dual to holism, subjective is dual to objective, relative is dual to absolute. The word entropy means "a tendency to diverge" or differentiate into new states, reductionsim. The word syntropy means "a tendency to converge" or integrate into a single state, holism. Divergence is dual to convergence, differentiation is dual to integration, division is dual to unity. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! Teleological physics (syntropy) is dual to non-teleological physics (entropy). Randomness (entropy) is dual to order (syntropy, predictability). Wholes (generalization) is dual to parts (localization) -- Holons. Mind (the internal soul, syntropy) is dual to matter (the external soul, entropy) -- Descartes. Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. The intellectual mind/soul (concepts) is dual to the sensory mind/soul (percepts) -- the mind duality of Thomas Aquinas. Bosons (waves) are dual to Fermions (particles) -- quantum or matter duality. Mind duality is dual to matter duality. "Always two there are" -- Yoda.

[@adiadagale123]

@@hyperduality2838 Wow.

[@SystemsInnovationNetwork]

Some of the sources used in the research for this video: goo.gl/GGmZo1 goo.gl/XkyDFd goo.gl/Qst3zw goo.gl/BjTNDi goo.gl/5M8KJK goo.gl/Y8AhHV goo.gl/MYme6x goo.gl/6KNlQX goo.gl/Y8AhHV goo.gl/v1YeMx

[@DanielRamBeats]

I am so happy I found this channel

[@rheza_saputra]

I think both points of view are worth taking... it's just a matter of context... Its a great vidio, thank you for your explanation 👍

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

The worst part of reductionism is the "there's a pill for that" attitude towards any perceived problem. For instance, every time something negative happens involving the government, or in which the government involves itself, the first thing the politicians do is start looking for someone to blame. Like there's a single cause and single cure for things like homicide or economic recession or climate change.

[@LuminousWhispers11]

It is funny too. A lot of people blame the system while being part of the system themselves. In the original U.S. governmental system, the three branches were each supposed to have a function and limit each other. In terms of the government and people relationship, the people were supposed to ensure that their officials were doing their jobs. While a system like everything is not perfect, all parts of system has to work for a system to have the chance of being functioning properly. When a system "fails" to do what someone wants, the person in question usually attempts to change it so it works for them. To put it simply as this could be a very long analysis, we are seeing the results of that. The current governmental system is multiple groups fighting for policy dominance over the other groups. The system isn't working out because most of the parts of it aren't doing their roles.

[@alaahesham250]

Thank you for breaking this down so easily , your precious time and effort .

[@baksteen2420]

That is very reductionist of you

[@Jijjihandle]

Insanely creative, thanks a lot, I see that the method you used to explain the two methods is reductionism

[@sydneybrennan3845]

I think in order to get the greatest understanding of something you need to look at both the bigger picture and the smaller ones.

[@hyperduality2838]

Reductionism is dual to holism, subjective is dual to objective, relative is dual to absolute. The word entropy means "a tendency to diverge" or differentiate into new states, reductionsim. The word syntropy means "a tendency to converge" or integrate into a single state, holism. Divergence is dual to convergence, differentiation is dual to integration, division is dual to unity. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! Teleological physics (syntropy) is dual to non-teleological physics (entropy). Randomness (entropy) is dual to order (syntropy, predictability). Wholes (generalization) is dual to parts (localization) -- Holons. Mind (the internal soul, syntropy) is dual to matter (the external soul, entropy) -- Descartes. Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. The intellectual mind/soul (concepts) is dual to the sensory mind/soul (percepts) -- the mind duality of Thomas Aquinas. Bosons (waves) are dual to Fermions (particles) -- quantum or matter duality. Mind duality is dual to matter duality. "Always two there are" -- Yoda.

[@MsLissi12345]

THANK YOU! I didn't understand the theories when I read about them neither when I went to a lecture but now I do :)))

[@hyperduality2838]

Reductionism is dual to holism, subjective is dual to objective, relative is dual to absolute. The word entropy means "a tendency to diverge" or differentiate into new states, reductionsim. The word syntropy means "a tendency to converge" or integrate into a single state, holism. Divergence is dual to convergence, differentiation is dual to integration, division is dual to unity. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! Teleological physics (syntropy) is dual to non-teleological physics (entropy). Randomness (entropy) is dual to order (syntropy, predictability). Wholes (generalization) is dual to parts (localization) -- Holons. Mind (the internal soul, syntropy) is dual to matter (the external soul, entropy) -- Descartes. Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. The intellectual mind/soul (concepts) is dual to the sensory mind/soul (percepts) -- the mind duality of Thomas Aquinas. Bosons (waves) are dual to Fermions (particles) -- quantum or matter duality. Mind duality is dual to matter duality. "Always two there are" -- Yoda.

[@IIStanIII]

my humble take on emergent properties like wetness or temperature is that they happen in the brain and not in the system itself. Take temperature for example. It is very useful for a living being to experience warmth, or coldness as a whole instead of the movement of all trillions of molecules at once. Reductionisticly speaking temperature is just the average amount of movement of molecules/atoms, but for us it would be way too complicated and distracting to perceive all of that, that's why we have these interface like approximations like the feeling for warmth. Same goes with wetness or even the perception of an object in 3D space which itself should just be manifestations of quantum wave functions.

[@josedanielherrera7115]

Exactly right.

[@PhilippeBG]

This is a brilliant video. I already know this stuff, but I feel like you bring more to my understanding anyways. Thank you

[@d.graemer1627]

Very nice video. I do not think that holism stands at odds with the idea of objective truth, though. You can be a holist and still believe in objective truth. Descriptions of emergent phenomena have a truth value.

[@hyperduality2838]

Absolute truth is dual to relative truth -- Hume's fork. Reductionism is dual to holism, subjective is dual to objective, relative is dual to absolute. The word entropy means "a tendency to diverge" or differentiate into new states, reductionsim. The word syntropy means "a tendency to converge" or integrate into a single state, holism. Divergence is dual to convergence, differentiation is dual to integration, division is dual to unity. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! Teleological physics (syntropy) is dual to non-teleological physics (entropy). Randomness (entropy) is dual to order (syntropy, predictability). Wholes (generalization) is dual to parts (localization) -- Holons. Mind (the internal soul, syntropy) is dual to matter (the external soul, entropy) -- Descartes. Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. The intellectual mind/soul (concepts) is dual to the sensory mind/soul (percepts) -- the mind duality of Thomas Aquinas. Bosons (waves) are dual to Fermions (particles) -- quantum or matter duality. Mind duality is dual to matter duality. "Always two there are" -- Yoda.

[@hyperduality2838]

Reductionism is dual to holism, subjective is dual to objective, relative is dual to absolute. The word entropy means "a tendency to diverge" or differentiate into new states, reductionsim. The word syntropy means "a tendency to converge" or integrate into a single state, holism. Divergence is dual to convergence, differentiation is dual to integration, division is dual to unity. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! Teleological physics (syntropy) is dual to non-teleological physics (entropy). Randomness (entropy) is dual to order (syntropy, predictability). Wholes (generalization) is dual to parts (localization) -- Holons. Mind (the internal soul, syntropy) is dual to matter (the external soul, entropy) -- Descartes. Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. The intellectual mind/soul (concepts) is dual to the sensory mind/soul (percepts) -- the mind duality of Thomas Aquinas. Bosons (waves) are dual to Fermions (particles) -- quantum or matter duality. Mind duality is dual to matter duality. "Always two there are" -- Yoda.

[@abcrane]

great!

[@hyperduality2838]

@@abcrane Integration (summations, syntropy) is dual to differentiation (differences, entropy) -- abstract algebra. Homology (convergence, syntropy) is dual to co-homology (divergence, entropy). Subgroups are dual to subfields -- the Galois correspondence. Addition is dual to subtraction (additive inverses) -- abstract algebra. Multiplication is dual to division (multiplicative inverses) -- abstract algebra. Sine is dual to cosine -- the word "co" means mutual and implies duality. Sinh is dual to cosh -- hyperbolic functions. Synchronic lines are dual to enchronic lines. The 4th law of thermodynamics is hardwired into mathematics. Mathematicians create concepts all the time from their perceptions or measurements hence they are using duality|! The rule of two -- Darth Bane, Sith lord.

[@edmondtarverdyan1824]

Good explanation

[@emmadelanoblessedemoncul8901]

good job for this video, thanks

[@clairenjanina]

all videos must be like this

[@KrisKowski]

Amazing video, great job!

[@hyperduality2838]

Reductionism is dual to holism, subjective is dual to objective, relative is dual to absolute. The word entropy means "a tendency to diverge" or differentiate into new states, reductionsim. The word syntropy means "a tendency to converge" or integrate into a single state, holism. Divergence is dual to convergence, differentiation is dual to integration, division is dual to unity. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! Teleological physics (syntropy) is dual to non-teleological physics (entropy). Randomness (entropy) is dual to order (syntropy, predictability). Wholes (generalization) is dual to parts (localization) -- Holons. Mind (the internal soul, syntropy) is dual to matter (the external soul, entropy) -- Descartes. Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. The intellectual mind/soul (concepts) is dual to the sensory mind/soul (percepts) -- the mind duality of Thomas Aquinas. Bosons (waves) are dual to Fermions (particles) -- quantum or matter duality. Mind duality is dual to matter duality. "Always two there are" -- Yoda.

[@johnmortimer3209]

A great introduction well described.

[@hosoiarchives4858]

What has holism discovered

[@josedanielherrera7115]

Any discovery made in complex systems that cannot be explained by looking at its smallest components and scaling up. So, just about everything other than smallest component of whatever is being studied. Go back to the part about how a qualitative property cannot be understood without a combination of its most fundamental parts. Complex ecological systems in general, can not be understood by understanding the behavior of the atoms. Vise versa, the atoms cannot be understood by looking at the behavior of the complex system. The Theory of plate techtonics is an example of an intuitive holistic discovery that was not made by understanding the subatomic atoms of non organic materials. I guess I could just go on and on. Hope that it makes sense.

[@cyntheawellings6106]

Excellent and very helpful. Thank you

[@anaguerrerosholisticwellbe2788]

Excellent video. Thanks

[@dahntaedeluna]

Thank you, you explained it so well!

[@waffle2434]

This is a very nice video, thank you and good job👍

[@thomasgale96]

so perfect, thank you

[@Ultimanimes]

Interesting... But I find your explanations on reductionists lacking. I consider myself a reductionist, and I think emergent properties can still be explained by looking at the smallest parts interacting with each other. Laws of physics will not be violated suddenly because we are animals. Biology is still a consequence of physics. Only, the amount of information is so tremendous acting like a reductionist will not be very useful, and because we are constrained by physical limits we have no choice but to act holistic in social sciences. If we had infinite calculating power, the reductionist way would be the only accurate account of reality.

[@SystemsInnovationNetwork]

Yes, well we deal with this topic later on in the course in the video on strong and weak emergence

[@Ultimanimes]

By the way, I am currently watching your course on complexity economics (I'm an economics student), it is very informative. I'm glad youtube guided me towards those videos with their algorithm. I had written a very long answer on why reductionism ultimately win the philosophic battle, but I'll keep that one in wraps among my list of articles to publish when I'll be a respected researcher...

[@abdulkader7104]

but does reductioniolism reduces our morality and behavior and psychology to chemical reactions like stated in this video in minute 2:10

[@huzuni5108]

Anonyme Anonyme How is your path to becoming a researcher going so far?

[@Michael_the_Drunkard]

You cannot build a society on reductionism, since human nature and thus its conciousness acts or comprehends holistically. This view in its pure form can give way to relativism and finally to nihilism. What is the purpose of anything, if it is all the result of a "favourable" or rather opportune circumstance? Reductionism can help us understand the basic parts of a process, but it should not diminish the purpose of that process. In order to reach a high level of understanding , you have to combine both philosophies.

[@zenblack3578]

Just a question but does anyone know if there is a term for those merge both philosophies?

[@josedanielherrera7115]

Holism already incorporates the smallest parts and doesn't deny its discoveries. It's only the people that miss the forest for the trees that don't get that. You can't miss the tree for the forest, makes no sense.

[@zenblack3578]

@@josedanielherrera7115 i appreciate you taking the time to answer but that wasn't really my question

[@LuminousWhispers11]

No, there isn't a official one.

[@josedanielherrera7115]

@@zenblack3578 They're both compensatory and interdependent upon each other. Neither one denies the other unless there's some kind of ideology that prevents it from happening.

[@zenblack3578]

@@josedanielherrera7115 again not my question, dude. I don't need an explanation of what either of them are. I'm asking if there's a term. That's all. Please stop with the mansplaning, if you can't answer the question asked, move on.

[@DopamineMVWM]

Great video, but thank fuck for youtube's speed function

[@superduperfreakyDj]

Just a quick note, water isn't wet. Wetness is when a usually dry substance is covered by a fluid substance, a table can be wet when you put water on it. Water can't be wet by adding water, it's just more water.

[@Bigkingmonster408]

shut up

[@sssddddser]

Shut up

[@Michael_the_Drunkard]

Water can mutate into other aggregate conditions : ice and steam and they are less wet.

[@Liliquan]

Wetness is in regard to the friction between surfaces, it’s a relative property not an internal one. So yes, water is wet in comparison to most other surfaces.

[@cloudgalaxy9231]

But really though, are you a robot made to teach us about your systems-based neural network by having us understand systems as a whole? Where do you get your funding? Why do you exist?

[@SystemsInnovationNetwork]

www.systemsinnovation.io

[@Zayden.]

acknowledging and recognizing that human beings, observers, are and can't be anything else but interactive participants with the world doesn't means that we don't believe in an single, objective reality.

[@DreadDeimos]

Why does this narrative feels like virgin reductionism vs chad holism comparison? I find them both equally important tools from the same belt.

[@hyperduality2838]

Reductionism is dual to holism, subjective is dual to objective, relative is dual to absolute. The word entropy means "a tendency to diverge" or differentiate into new states, reductionsim. The word syntropy means "a tendency to converge" or integrate into a single state, holism. Divergence is dual to convergence, differentiation is dual to integration, division is dual to unity. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! Teleological physics (syntropy) is dual to non-teleological physics (entropy). Randomness (entropy) is dual to order (syntropy, predictability). Wholes (generalization) is dual to parts (localization) -- Holons. Mind (the internal soul, syntropy) is dual to matter (the external soul, entropy) -- Descartes. Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. The intellectual mind/soul (concepts) is dual to the sensory mind/soul (percepts) -- the mind duality of Thomas Aquinas. Bosons (waves) are dual to Fermions (particles) -- quantum or matter duality. Mind duality is dual to matter duality. "Always two there are" -- Yoda.

[@DreadDeimos]

@@hyperduality2838 I understand that it's your specialty, but do you happen to have an example of "trialities" in nature?

[@hyperduality2838]

@@DreadDeimos The proton is composed of three quarks. Space is 3 dimensional, but in physics you have to include the dimension of time -- Einstein. Space is dual to time -- Einstein. Triality is by-product of duality. Thesis is dual to anti-thesis creates converging thesis or synthesis -- the time independent Hegelian dialectic. 3 codons in DNA. Why do you ask this question?

[@DreadDeimos]

@@hyperduality2838 I'm curious. Haven't thought much about this kind of connections.

[@hyperduality2838]

@@DreadDeimos Here is some physics:- Potential energy is dual to kinetic energy. Gravitation is equivalent or dual to acceleration -- Einstein's happiest thought, the principle of equivalence (duality). Apples fall to the ground because they are conserving duality. Action is dual to reaction -- Sir Isaac Newton. Gravitational energy is dual, electro-magnetic energy is dual:- Positive is dual to negative -- electric fields/charge. North poles are dual to south poles -- magnetic fields. Certainty is dual to uncertainty -- the Heisenberg certainty/uncertainty principle. There is a pattern of duality hardwired into the physics. Photons or light are dual, wave/particle or quantum duality. The colour black is dual to the colour white, colours are different frequencies of the same substance namely pure energy. Same is dual to different. I am well aware that black is the absence of colour. The conservation of duality (energy) will be known as the 5th law of thermodynamics! Energy is duality, duality is energy. Energy is dual to mass -- Einstein. Dark energy is dual to dark matter. Space is dual to time -- Einstein. Time dilation is dual to length contraction -- Einstein, special relativity. "Always two there are" -- Yoda.

[@tahaanouar2453]

Waiting for "Empedocles" to solve this problem...

[@emiliogalindo8]

If chemical imbalances are also influenced by external surroundings, I’d presume you’d want to take those influences into account. LULZ

[@Castle3179]

Both approaches are wrong but some results are useful. Lol.

[@davonbenson4361]

I mean, Holism is self explanatory. The engine of a vehicle can’t drive, even that very same vehicle can drive.

[@marcodallolio9746]

Left brain vs right brain

[@jjkoukuljllollolololojj3988]

hoolish

[@DrTryloByte]

"properties that cannot be explained by the individual parts", "emergence" Im out

[@aripoppino]

Why?

[@paloma2957]

hakakkajahaha why is holism a hippie