A philosophical or scientific concept that systems should be viewed as wholes, not just as collections of parts. Often contrasted with reductionism. The Japanese term 全体論 is a common synonym.
Holism holds that the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
生態学ではホーリズムの視点が重要だ。
In ecology, a holistic perspective is important.
Etymology
Loanword from English 'holism', coined by Jan Smuts in 1926 from Greek 'holos' (whole). The alternate spelling 'ホリズム' reflects a common simplification of the long vowel in Japanese loanwords.
