holism

holism [hoh-liz-uh m] Word Origin noun

1. Philosophy. the theory that whole entities, as fundamental components of reality, have an existence other than as the mere sum of their parts.Compare organicism(def 1).
2. Also holiatry. Medicine/Medical. care of the entire patient in all aspects of well-being, including physical, psychological, and social.
3. Psychology. any psychologic system postulating that the human mind must be studied as a unit rather than as a sum of its individual parts.

Origin of holism hol- + -ism; term introduced by J.C. Smuts in Holism and Evolution (1926)Related formsho·list, nounCan be confusedholism wholism British Dictionary definitions for holism holism noun

1. any doctrine that a system may have properties over and above those of its parts and their organization
2. the treatment of any subject as a whole integrated system, esp, in medicine, the consideration of the complete person, physically and psychologically, in the treatment of a diseaseSee also alternative medicine
3. philosophy one of a number of methodological theses holding that the significance of the parts can only be understood in terms of their contribution to the significance of the whole and that the latter must therefore be epistemologically priorCompare reductionism, atomism (def. 2)

Word Origin for holism C20: from holo- + -ism Word Origin and History for holism n.

1926, apparently by South African Gen. J.C. Smuts (1870-1950) in his book “Holism and Evolution” which treats of evolution as a process of unification of separate parts; from Greek holos “whole” (see safe (adj.)) + -ism.

This character of “wholeness” meets us everywhere and points to something fundamental in the universe. Holism (from [holos] = whole) is the term here coined for this fundamental factor operative towards the creation of wholes in the universe. [Smuts, “Holism and Evolution,” p.86] holism in Medicine holism [hō′lĭz′əm] n.

1. The theory that living matter or reality is made up of organic or unified wholes that are greater than the simple sum of their parts.
2. A holistic investigation or system of treatment.

Related formsho•lis′tic (hō-lĭs′tĭk) adj.