Examining the Holism and Reductionism Concepts

ABSTRACT

This research paper primary objective is to understand by examining the holism and reductionism concepts and how these two approaches relate. As in reductionism the simplest forms of building blocks is the source of the complexity which in other words means that a complex phenomenon such as a human behavior needs to be "reduced" it to its constituent elements. As For the HOLISM "the whole is more than the sum of the parts". This acknowledges the existence of human behavior to be described distinctively by its own features that are not explicable in terms of the characteristics of the elements from which it has been derived.

Holism

The term holism was coined in by a South African statesman Jan Smuts (1926), in his journal, Holism & Evolution. Jan Smuts defined holism as the "The tendency in nature to form wholes that are greater than the sum of the constituent parts through creative evolution."

With other great minds, Aristotle demonstrated that the whole is greater than the sum of its constituent parts. Holistic approach of physiology focuses at peoples sprit, the mind and the body, enabling humans to understand how all this fit together as a whole within the nature of universe..Holism hence refers to Any approach that emphasizes the whole rather than their constituent parts which in other words means that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts'.

Holism thus suggests the existence of different levels of explanation each with "emergent properties" that cannot be since it will make no sense to try to understand the meaning of anything that anybody might do.

Applied to the healthcare fraternity, holism facilitates and encourages treatment of a whole person and not just various parts of his/her body. while a patient is in a hospital he/she should be seen as an individual and thus given rights to privacy, dignity and respect. Anderson (1998) viewed a holistic approach to person-centered care as one in which a person's values, opinions and life story are considered pre-eminent. Not withstanding all attributes mentioned, a patient's past and present lifestyles are necessary in deductions made about their care (Baker 2001).

Holism therefore not only acknowledges the vital role a healthy mind has on nurturing a peaceful mind in health but it also embraces the energy of the self-spiritual that breathes, lives and have emotion. Holism therefore can as well be acknowledged as a complete vision of human beings lives and how they fit into their world.

As much as reductionism may be significant when defining principles behind scientific theory, this approach ignores the art of the world while on the other hand attempts to understand human beings by addressing all factors affecting one's life all situations Thereby enabling patients integrating appropriate