Smuts jan holism and evolution 1926 free ebook download as pdf file. Although smuts and whitehead worked independently, they. Buy holism and evolution by smuts, jan christiaan isbn. Buy holism and evolution by jan christiaan smuts online at alibris. A new framework for thinking about business wayne visser, new perspectives, no 7, 1995 were subsequently enshrined by the likes of ford motor company and others in the twentieth century, and in many cases taken to an extreme following the explosive growth of the hitech industry. Smuts formulation of holism has been linked with his politicalmilitary activity, especially his aspiration to create a league of nations. Holism posits the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and that, unified, the parts constitute a new and unique whole. Holism and evolution is a 1926 book by south african statesman jan smuts, in which he. Smuts 18701950 in order to capture a general approach to the study of complex systems which grants the whole a special ontological and epistemological significance which the parts of the system lack. Holism draws much of its appeal from the way in which the usage of all our words seems interconnected, and runs into many problems because the resultant view can seem to conflict with among other things the intuition that meanings are. General jan christiaan smuts south african history online. Mar 03, 2011 holism and evolution by jan christiaan smuts, 1926, the macmillan company edition, in english.
Holism and evolution is a 1926 book by south african statesman jan smuts, in which he coined the word holism, although smuts meaning differs from the modern concept of holism. Holism is a viewpoint additional and complementary to that of science, whose keywords are continuity and mechanism. The term is from the greek, holos, meaning whole, and was coined by jan smuts 18701950 in his book, holism and evolution 19261961. After albert einstein studied holism and evolution, he wrote that two mental constructs will direct human thinking in the next millennium, his own mental construct of relativity and smuts of holism. The term holism was coined by jan smuts in his 1926 book holism and evolution the exact meaning of holism depends on context. It was introduced by jan smuts, an african statesman, in his book holism and evolution 1926. Smuts, in retrospect, was an interdisciplinarian, and holism and evolution is a text of interest to multiple disciplinesa treatise positioned on the borderland. Holism and evolution by jan christian smuts a re evaluation after 90 years. Introduction to the philosophy of holism thinkers forum usa. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Buy holism and evolution new edition by smuts, jan isbn. The biodiversity heritage library works collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community.
Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. This paper and presentation will provide a brief outline of smuts theory of holism as developed in his book holism and evolution and other. The demise of smuts signaled the start of south africas slide into apartheid and the end of a more enlightened era. In philosophy, any doctrine that prioritizes the whole over its parts, is.
Smuts regarded holism as being grounded in evolution and is an ideal that guides human development and ones level of personality actualization 8. Comprising a philosophical approach beyond medicine and health, holism. Smuts made significant revisions and additions in later editions to reflect some of the details of the then current understanding. It was smuts expressed conviction that a time would come when a true holistic and. Details holism and evolution, biodiversity heritage library. Holistic is a term widely applied in science in general, including medicine, where it refers to managing the whole person, not just the symptoms or a disease. Holism and evolution by jan christiaan smuts alibris.
Apr 26, 2016 holistic is a term widely applied in science in general, including medicine, where it refers to managing the whole person, not just the symptoms or a disease. Holism is often applied to systems, life and ecology. When reading, you can choose the font size, set the style of the paragraphs, headers, and. This factor, called holism in the sequel, underlies the synthetic tendency in the universe, and is the principle which makes for the origin and progress of wholes in the universe. Field marshal jan christian smuts pc, om, ch, dtd, ed, kc, frs 24 may 1870 11 september 1950 was a south african statesman, military leader, and philosopher. The term meaning holism is generally applied to views that treat the meanings of all of the words in a language as interdependent. Dr claudius van wyk favorite favorite favorite favorite september 14, 20 subject. Although smuts had originally advocated racial segregation. Holism, concept individuation, and conceptual change. Honour for field marshal jan smuts aka smuts honoured in holland 1948 duration.
He believed that the compartmentalization of science into separate disciplines created both limitations to knowledge and understanding, and the ability to deal with some of the worlds most intractable problems. The maverick genius, jan christian smuts 18701950invented the words holism and holistic in his book, holism and evolution, which stresses the importance of structure and function in holistic referenceframes. Smuts, a south african philosopher, in his book holism and evolution. The book was part of a broader trend of interest in holism. One of these contributions was smuts proposal of holism, which he defined as the tendency in nature to form wholes that are greater than the sums of the parts through creative evolution. First formulated by jan smuts, holism has been traditionally defined as a philosophical theory that states that the determining factors in nature are wholes which are irreducible to the sum of their parts and that the evolution of the universe is the record of the activity and making of such wholes. Smuts book holism and evolution 1926 is reevaluated after 90 years of publication. A brief overview and comparison of holism and reductionism. Smuts originally used holism to refer to the tendency in nature.
A preeminent philosopher of his time, he pioneered the concept of holism, defined as the tendency in nature to form wholes that are greater than the sum of the parts through creative evolution. Put more simply, holism was described as the tendency in nature to form wholes that are greater than the sum of the parts smuts, 1926, p. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Buy holism and evolution by smuts hon j c online at alibris. Smuts 1926 described how evolution created complexity with new characteristics emerging from simpler components. Common types of primary sources include works of literature, historical documents, original philosophical writings, and religious texts. Nelson mandela would have been 9 years old at the time this book was published. Holistic is a neologism introduced by jan christian smutsa south african soldier, statesman, and philosopherin his 1926 treatise holism and evolution. Feb 01, 2005 the term holism is generally conceded to have been coined by the south african jan smuts in 1926. Holism is the theory that parts of a whole are in intimate interconnection, such that they cannot exist independently of the whole, or cannot be understood without reference to the whole, which is thus regarded as greater than the sum of its parts. Holism in the sciences encyclopedia of life support systems. The whitman study preceded smuts major scholarly contribution writ ten decades later in south africa. While in academia, smuts pioneered the concept of holism, which he defined as the fundamental factor operative towards the creation of wholes in the universe in his 1926 book, holism and evolution. Smuts, arguing in the holism and evolution 1926 says.
Field marshal jan christiaan smuts pc, om, ch, dtd, ed, kc, frs was a south african statesman, military leader, and philosopher. Holism and evolution by jan christiaan smuts, 1926, the macmillan company edition, in english. Smuts aim with holism and evolution was to make a modest contribution towards the reform of the fundamental concepts of matter, life and mind by transforming the mechanical view of matter as something passive or inert with definite contours into a dynamic concept included in a creative evolutionary process. A catholic view of holism a criticism of the theory put forward by general smuts in his book, holism and evolution, by kolbe, frederick charles and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The whitman study preceded smuts major scholarly contribution written decades later in south africa. Smuts jan holism and evolution 1926 holism natural. I am primarily interested in scientific concepts and the phenomenon of conceptual change.
He described the process as holism because new entities were created to. Reflections on holism and the passing of nelson mandela. A catholic view of holism a criticism of the theory put forward by general smuts in his book, holism and evolution. Holistic is a neologism introduced by jan christian smuts a south african soldier, statesman, and philosopherin his 1926 treatise holism and evolution.
Here too a reformed concept of mind might bring it much closer to a reformed concept of matter. The core precepts are clarified and scientific correlations drawn to approaches in the new physics together with philosophical correlations to postmodernist. The term holism is generally conceded to have been coined by the south african jan smuts in 1926. Details holism and evolution, biodiversity heritage. Comprising a philosophical approach beyond medicine and health, holism developed into a variety of schools. Smuts notoriously inaccessible theory of evolution, building on and showcasing keynes notion of uncertainty. Smuts lost the 1948 south african general election, dying two years later on 11 september 1950. The book was part of a broader trend of interest in holism in european and colonial academia during the early. A primary source is a work that is being studied, or that provides firsthand or direct evidence on a topic. Doc holism and evolution by jan christian smuts a re. It was smuts expressed conviction that a time would come when a true holistic and integrative approach to science would emerge. He discourses on how losses obtain from analysis and how gains obtain from holistic views. Jan christiaan smuts, holism and evolution philpapers.
When reading, you can choose the font size, set the style of the paragraphs, headers, and footnotes. My account will be based on a moderate holism about concept, using a conceptual role semanticsan approach that i view. Sep 10, 2010 the maverick genius, jan christian smuts 18701950invented the words holism and holistic in his book, holism and evolution, which stresses the importance of structure and function in holistic referenceframes. Claudius van wyk smuts book holism and evolution 1926 is reevaluated after. However, an interesting, but unexplored, aspect of holism and evolution is the bible texts that smuts alludes to, especially from the fifth chapter onwards, to describe and explain his philosophy of holism. Holism a meaningfully inclusive perspective duration. Holistic thinking in a broad sense is currently aligned with systems theory in opposition to reduction ist approaches, which is broadly consistent with smutss own.
Holism, concept individuation, and conceptual change 1 the topic of the present discussion is the individuation of concepts. Smuts therefore saw two main forces operating in all existence. Publication date 1936 topics uod collection digitallibraryindia. Holism and evolution in the 21st century it was smuts expressed conviction that a time would come when a true holistic and integrative approach to science would emerge. Published 1926 by the macmillan company in new york. The somewhat indefinite meaning that smuts attached to the term has become largely displaced by an idea that was already current with gestalt theorists when smuts wrote holism and evolution. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as prime minister of the union of south africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948. The widelyused term holism appeared in the literature sixty years ago with the publication of jan smutss holism and evolution.
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