Understanding Holism: How it May Form a Basis – for Understanding Many Other Things

ABSTRACT

Holism is the understanding of reality in terms of systems tending towards integrated wholes whose properties may not be reduced to those of smaller units. These wholes form at least four major groups of complexity: material systems, living (material) systems, conscious (living material) systems and self-conscious (living material) systems⁴ which further organize into meta-systems such as the social / environmental, moral and spiritual. This tendency towards organization appears in contradiction to the Second Law of Thermodynamics which requires an increase in entropy within a closed system. This paper explores the connection between the tendency towards self organization and the generation of life within the universe, the universal tendency towards chaos and the role of information; how this connection was recognized by ancient traditions; how the processes of organization are common to the multiple levels of complex systems within the universe and how this commonality of process can form the framework for interdisciplinary enquiry with examples brought from classical mechanics and medicine.

HOLISM AS THE TENDENCY TOWARDS ORGANIZATION

Holism, a term coined by South African Statesman Jan Smuts in 1926, refers to an understanding of reality in terms of integrated wholes whose properties cannot be reduced to those of smaller units¹ or stated as process, “the fundamental factor operative towards the creation of wholes in the universe² . These “wholes” are complex systems far from equilibrium. They are self organizing, adaptive in that they assimilate and respond to environmental stimuli, and interact to form a hierarchy of levels of complexity³ with each level representing an increase in complexity that brings into being a new manner of being of matter in system⁴ . There appear to be at least four major complex systems: material systems, living (material) systems, conscious (living material) systems and self-conscious (living material) systems⁴ . Other thinkers add the levels of social / environmental, moral, spiritual and divine⁵ , which (perhaps⁶ or perhaps not⁷ excluding the dimension of the divine) would form subsystems within the self-conscious (living material) systems strata of organization. Implicit in this understanding is that each level of organization consists of less complex integrated wholes (individuals) interacting with self and others to negotiate a shared environment. This increases the nett complexity of the system from which emerges the next whole.

ORDER, DISORDER & THE ROLE OF INFORMATION

If the process of holism is the glue of the universe, the converse is disorder. Within a closed system disorder / chaos (entropy) must either remain constant or increase. This, the second law of thermodynamics⁸ , is responsible for decay, for the experience of unidirectional time, for toes being cold in winter, my perpetually messy desk and all manner of disorganization. How then do entropy and holism co-exist? Entropy can be decreased (i.e. order can be increased) in a system where there is corresponding increase in entropy (disordering) of an interacting system³ (for example adding energy to one system by burning another). Furthermore a system acquiring and storing information about the interacting systems can use that information to make heat flow from a cold object to a hot one (entropy here is decreased i.e. order being increased through the use of information)³ . Such a system could extract heat from cold winter air to further warm already warm toes (The thermal equivalent of making water flow uphill). Such a system could also facilitate information stored in DNA to organize molecules into cells, cells into tissues and tissues into organisms aware that they are aware of their warm toes and able to form warm toe awareness support groups. The forever evolving organization of complex adaptive integrated wholes thus takes place when individual systems receive, record, share and respond to information about each other and the shared ecosystem. It is also intimately bound to the process of devolving and disorganizing others.

CHAOS, ORGANIZATION, ESKIMOS & KABALAH

The symbiosis of Entropy and Holism is not new to man’s thinking. The Kabalah referencing the biblical verse (Genesis 1:2) “and the earth was formless (tohu) and void,” describes two symbiotic, parallel processes of reality that take place in the unfolding of creation; Tohu – chaos or entropy; and Tikkun – restitution or organization. Neither can exist alone. Tikkun requires the energy of Tohu and Tohu requires the organization of Tikkun. When together Tohu and Tikun raise the world to completeness⁹ . In Greek mythology, Prometheus steals fire from the gods and with it brings civilization to mankind¹⁰ , not only because the conscious use of fire sets man apart from animals and because it keeps them away, but because fire involving the burning (disordering) of an organic chemical system we choose to call fuel, fuels the complex organization of society. The increase in entropy in burning wood (glucose) decreases the entropy of the people warming themselves at the fireside. The organization and existence of western style civilization relies on the massive increase in entropy (fuel burning) taking place at the local electrical power station. It also relies on the humble potato meal recently eaten and metabolized by the power station staff. The human body burns (metabolizes) the glucose of its food to maintain its own structures and the meta-systems dependent thereon. The process of burning wood and metabolizing food is very similar in that both oxidize glucose¹¹ . Every human being quite literally has a fire inside. The myths of the Eskimos and others well understood holism’s dependence on disorder in another. Cross culturally fire making symbolizes the sex act. The socket stick symbolizes the male, the spindle symbolizes the female and the emergent flame symbolizes the newly generated life¹² . Fire is almost synonymous with life as we know it. Given the right conditions, life will balance entropy and create itself.

COMMON PROCESSES OF HOLISM AT THE MAJOR LEVELS OF COMPLEXITY AS A FRAMEWORK FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNDERSTANDING

If systems are forever evolving into more complex adaptive integrated wholes, the same underlying principles of organization should apply in its own way at each of Kriel’s levels of complexity mentioned above. Systems interact, share and record information within an environment and evolve higher levels of order. This holds true within the level of Material Systems. For example sodium metal when placed in water will react violently to displace hydrogen from the water molecule and will bind with oxygen to form a stable system of sodium hydroxide. Information has been exchanged between atoms (communication has taken place) and molecular conformation has changed (the system has adapted). The reaction releases heat thus increasing its entropy. Should enough sodium be present the heat released from the reaction will ignite the released hydrogen and a meta-system within the level of Material Systems will have developed. Each element has exchanged information, acted according to its nature and a new system has potentially, if momentarily, emerged. Chemical elements exchange information, react, and combine for infinitely more complex Living (Material) Systems to emerge such as cells¹¹ . These cells then interact, exchange entropy through metabolism of other cells, communicate with self and other cells within an ecosystem and thus form the foundation for another infinitely more complex Conscious (Living Material) System for example the human body¹³ . The same applies for the complex organization of human social systems in that they are reliant on food, fuel, interaction and communication. It seems that communication, interaction in an environment and entropy exchange are the means of holism applicable to all 4 levels of organization from material systems all the way through to self-conscious (living material) systems. They are the same processes that take place in spontaneous system organization and holistic emergence, each according to its level’s specific complexity.

The study of each level therefore also lends itself to different disciplinary approaches. For instance human consciousness is studied through the (often related) disciplines of psychology, religion, philosophy and mysticism while the material system is studied through physics and related disciplines. What is interesting to note is that often a principle or law of nature developed for one level of complexity in a specific discipline applies equally well to another given the context of the complexity of the level. Newton’s law of inertia, stating that a body at rest tends to remain at rest unless acted upon by an unequal force, was developed to describe a material system, yet applies equally well to self conscious systems. It helps to understand nicotine addiction and why people (in my anecdotal experience as a general practitioner) continue to smoke in spite of the knowledge of the grave associated health risks yet stop after experiencing a myocardial infarction; or on the socio-behavioral level, the phenomenon that sexually active adolescents in the HIV / AIDS pandemic in Kwa-Zulu South Africa, like in other populations¹⁴ , modify their sexual behaviour according to their perceived risk and perceived susceptibility to HIV infection¹⁵ . The habit (inertia) is modified by an external force (risk of disease). While the following statement is inductive and therefore by definition qualified, within the context of holism, principles and disciplinary approaches at one level of organizational complexity may be used to understand the dynamics of other levels as well. This idea proves useful in laying groundwork for understanding the interaction of apparently disparate complex systems.

In the field of mind-body medicine the terminology for the study of mind takes place within the disciplines of philosophy, mysticism and psychology; whereas the body is traditionally approached in the mainly reductionist context of bio-molecular medicine. Both disciplines are describing interacting complex systems and should be understood in the context of the other. One can no longer understand disease solely as a bio-molecular malfunctioning at a cellular level within an organ or organ system4 because there is mounting body of medical evidence to support “mind-body” interventions (relaxation, visualization, cognitive therapy and meditation) as outcome modifying therapies.¹⁶ Parallel meditation as a therapy to the same understanding of the sage Shimon son of Raban Gamliel who said 2000 years ago, “All my days I have grown up amongst the sages and have found nothing better for the body than silence.dtml-var “cite(’17’,’6′)”>

Furthermore the conventional approach to pathology can also be understood in terms of the breakdown of the principles of organization described above. Using classical myocardial infarction as an example, where multiple intersystemic interaction such as chronic hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, cigarette smoking and psychosocial factors combine to cause critical decrease in the blood supply to and ultimately death of heart muscle and possibly the human system¹⁸ . The decrease in blood supply cuts off oxygen required for metabolism (entropy change) and the resultant infarction often breaks down the conduction system causing arrhythmias and possibly failure and death. Thus there is a breakdown in communication constituent parts, a breakdown in inter and intra-systemic regulation as well as changes to the way entropy is shared and directed. The organizational processes are thus disturbed.

Within the context of psychopathology, aggressive tendencies in some men have been associated with stronger immunity¹⁹ (immunity being a complex adaptive system used by the body to maintain its own organization). This suggests that aggression may be understood as increasing entropy and creating disorder in order to maintain the perpetrator’s own equilibrium.

The processes of Holism and its counterpart, Disorganization are present at all levels of complexity within the organism from the material to the self conscious. An inter-systemic interdisciplinary approach is tremendously helpful in understanding health, the body and the mind-body interaction.

CONCLUSION

Systems tend towards integrated wholes which, rather than working contrary to the second law of thermodynamics, harnesses the principles of information, energy and entropy for purposes of further self organization. These principles of organization hold true through the four major groups of ascending complexity as well as within disparate scientific and philosophical disciplines. It is precisely because of this commonality of process that holism can form the framework for interdisciplinary enquiry. This paper forms the background against which further investigation into the emergence of complex adaptive systems may take place. Such investigation may tend towards understanding the emergence of consciousness and self consciousness within systems and how these systems interact to form social / environmental, moral and spiritual meta-systems.

Capra, Fritjof. The Turning Point. London: Flamingo, 1983.
Smuts, Jan Christiaan. Holism and Evolution. New York: Viking Press, 1926.
Gell-Man, Murray. The Quark and the Jaguar, Adventures in the Simple and the Complex. London: Abacus, 1994.
Kriel, Jacques. Matter, Mind, and Medicine. Transforming the Clinical Method. Amsterdam: VIBS, 2000.
Ellis, G.F.R.. Before the Beginning. London: Boyars/Bowerdean, 1993.
Maimonides, Moses. Mishna Torah LeRambam. Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah. Jerusalem: Hotseis Csuvim, 1990.
Spinoza, Baruch. Ethics. London: JM Dent and Sons, 1950.
Halliday, David et al. Fundamentals of Physics. New York: Johan Wiley and Sons, Inc, 2001.
Steinsaltz, Adin. In the Beginning. Discourses in Chasidic Thought. London: Jason Aronson Inc, 1992.
Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth. New York: Doubleday, 1988.
Stryer, Lubert. Biochemistry. New York: WH Freeman and Company, 1988.
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. London: Fontana Press, 1993.
Vander, Arthur et al. Human Physiology. The Mechanisms of Body Function. New York, McGraw-Hill Inc, 1994..
Boily, MC et al. Changes in the transmission dynamics of the HIV epidemic after the wide-scale use of antiretroviral therapy could explain increases in sexually transmitted infections: results from mathematical models. Sex Transm Dis. 2004 Feb; 31(2):100-13.
Macintyre, K et al. Understanding perceptions of HIV risk among adolescents in KwaZulu-Natal. AIDS Behav. 2004 Sep; 8(3):237-50.
Astin, John et al. Mind-body medicine: state of the science, implications for practice. J Am Board Fam Pract. 2003 Mar-Apr;16(2):131-47.
Ethics of the Fathers, 1:17. The Authorized Daily Prayer Book of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth of Nations. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode Ltd, 1962.
Haslett, Christopher et al. Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine. Eighteenth Edition. London: Churchill Livingston, 1999.
Granger, Douglas et al. Human Aggression and Enumerative Measures of Immunity. Psychosomatic Medicine. 62:583-590 (2000).