Greek origin, holos, definition

applications

joined-up thinking, cross borders

systemic thinking

INTERDEPENDENCE

From Wikipedia

Holism (from holos, a Greek word meaning all, entire, total) is the idea that all the properties of a given system (biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, linguistic, etc.) cannot be determined or explained by the sum of its component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines in an important way how the parts behave.

The general principle of holism was concisely summarized by Aristotle in the Metaphysics: "The whole is more than the sum of its parts".

Reductionism is seen as the opposite of holism. Reductionism in science says that a complex system can be explained by reduction to its fundamental parts. Essentially, chemistry is reducible to physics, biology is reducible to chemistry and physics, and psychology and sociology are reducible to biology, etc.

Holism is sometimes described as the opposite of reductionism (see also scientific reductionism). Some proponents of reductionism think rather that it is the opposite of greedy reductionism. Holism may also be contrasted with atomism.

On the other hand, holism and reductionism can also be regarded as complementary viewpoints, in which case they both would be needed to get a proper account of a given system.