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Conceptualizing holism in international interdisciplinary critical perspective
The New Physics
Connected to systems science, some physicists also make connections between
their work and holistic thought-forms. Notable physicists such as David Bohm
and Fritjof Capra emphasize the similarities between their theories of the indistinguishability
of field and force and mind and matter, with the spiritual traditions
of Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism and Taoism. Over the past 2000
years or more, Buddhists have developed sophisticated philosophical, phenomenological
and epistemological ideas, and they have found a very practical
way to apply them (Lopez, 2008). Some Western scientists, such as those who
study the mind, have been profoundly influenced by Buddhist thought and
have worked to establish empirical correlations between Buddhist practice and
scientific work (Lopez, 2008; Weaver et al, 2008). Western tradition has avoided
the idea of a selfless self, of a virtual self. This egolessness, or selflessness, is at
the very core of Buddhism.
Capra (2002) also extends the framework of systems and complexity theory to
the social domain, akin to the foundational principles of holism. He uses this extended
framework to discuss some of the critical issues of our time – the management
of human organizations, the challenges and dangers of economic globalization,
the scientific and ethical problems of biotechnology, and the establishment of ecologically
sustainable communities and technologies (Capra, 2002).
Bohm conceptualizes an implicate order to the universe composed of frequencies
beyond time and space that has been hidden from people. His paradigm is
a form of ontological holism. In this conception of order, primacy is given to the
undivided whole, and the implicate order inherent within the whole, rather than
to parts of the whole (Healey, 2009).
These scientists emphasize in their work the same notions as holism; the
whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The natural world interacts synergistically.
It is thus not possible to fully understand systems by knowing the
properties of their individual components – although it is useful to study individual
components. Indeed, as stated by Capra,‘the basic oneness of the universe
is not only the central characteristic of the mystical experience but it is also
one of the most important revelations of modern physics. It becomes apparent
at the atomic level and manifests itself more and more as one penetrates deeper
into matter, down into the realm of subatomic particles’ (Gaan, 2005, p. 324).
The observer of a scientific experiment, according to quantum theory, can
change the outcome of an experiment, simply by observing, for the observer
puts energy into the system and this energy has an impact on that, which is
being observed. Just as Buddhist and Hindu philosophy stress, the observer
and observed are seen as connected, as are mind and matter, field and force.
As Gary Zukav explains, quantum theory sees everything in the universe as
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r 2011 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1477-8211 Social Theory & Health Vol. 9, 3, 244–255
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