Organicism

As organicism or biological holism refers to the thesis that many biological questions can only be answered by examining the entire organism. The organicism thus faces a biological reductionism of biological macro phenomena will generally attributed to micro biological phenomena. Ernst Mayr describes the organicism as follows: " In summary, one can best be described as a double conviction describe the organicism: Firstly, it is important to consider the organism as a whole. Secondly, wholeness is not mysterious sealed the analysis, however, should be studied at the correct level of analysis. "This right level of analysis is that of the causal dependencies between the parts or ' organs ' of the subject matter at issue, which are comprehended in the organicism as mutually.

History

The term was coined by William Emerson Ritter 1919.

The organicism evolved from the realization that neither the mechanistic and reductionist approach to the physics nor unverifiable hypotheses of vitalism the special features of living things are appropriate.

As a basic principle, the special organization of living things (and thus the organisms) is considered: They represent a complex, hierarchically structured system of elements that are inter- complex interactions and thereby produce properties that are no longer explained by an isolated consideration of the individual elements are. These new properties are referred to as emergences. They result from the integration of elements into a new unit. This is again with other units in complex interactions, so that here also creates a further integration on another level, and so on.

The special properties of living beings, therefore, not based on their material composition, but on their characteristic organization. The whole is more than the sum of its parts has become established as a handy formula for this.

So can indeed be on the integration level of molecules all operations by physico-chemical laws explain these lose but for the higher levels more and more important and are replaced by other, biological principles.

In modern biology, the genetic program plays to explain the differences to non-living systems a prominent role: Only creatures are controlled in large part by a genetic program that was acquired in the course of evolution and further developed.

In ecology organicist theories were dominant, especially until the mid 20th century. As early representatives of organicism in the German Ecology Karl Friedrichs and August Thienemann be called. Synecological units are considered as wholes. Your parts, ie species and species groups, a function for this whole thing is attributed so that the parts of organs, ie ' tools ' of the whole. It is assumed that organisms are linked by vital mutual relations, in such a way that the organisms all contribute to the formation of ' organs ' of the Community. Each institution performs functions for the community, without which it could not exist. Therefore, each individual is dependent on the community as a whole. Only the fact that the individual as any other fulfills its specific functions in the community, its self-preservation is possible. The synecological units are natural units. This means that they exist independently of the scientist; this they can not distinguish at will, but must they find in nature. The succession, ie the mess peeling combinations of different types in time, leads from poorly integrated pioneer companies to ever more integrated units. In the course of succession and species community environment influence each other mutually, and in a way that ultimately a Klimaxzustand is achieved. In this species a communion with the custom of their own habitat forms a stable organic unity. The counterpoint to this organizistisch - holistic views in ecology on the one hand form individualistic reduktionistischeTheorien: In this is understood by the individual: In an area coexist all the species got there and have found suitable environmental conditions. You are not limited in their existence from performing functions for other or a parent company. Not organicist, but in certain aspects of holistic ecosystem theories are theories.