Limits of Reductionism
A contrast to the reductionist approach is holism or emergentism. Holism is the idea that things can have properties, (emergent properties), as a whole that are not explainable from the sum of their parts. The principle of holism was concisely summarized by Aristotle in the Metaphysics: "The whole is more than the sum of its parts".
The term greedy reductionism, coined by Daniel Dennett, is used to criticize inappropriate use of reductionism. Other authors use different language when describing the same thing.
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Famous quotes containing the words limits of, limits and/or reductionism:
“I shall have the veil withdrawn and be allowed to gaze unblinded on the narrow limits of my own possibilities.”
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“The element running through entire nature, which we popularly call Fate, is known to us as limitation. Whatever limits us, we call Fate.”
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