• the theory that the whole is defined by the inter-actions/connections of its parts
• sub-types:
  • Synthetic Holism - Synthetic Reasoning - Systems Thinking
  • synthesis - the combination of ideas to form a theory or system
  • studies the synergy - the coordination between parts that adds or subtracts value from the system

• can be applied to any phenomenon, including objects, problems, explanations, theories, and meanings
• sub-types:
  • ontological reductionism - a belief that the whole of reality consists of a minimal number of parts.
  • methodological reductionism - the scientific attempt to provide an explanation in terms of ever-smaller entities
  • analytical reductionism - where we break systems down into its parts, study the parts in isolation and then recombine them to form a description of the whole in terms of these parts. Focusing on the parts inherently downplays the relations between those parts and how they work as a whole
  • theory reductionism - the suggestion that a newer theory does not replace or absorb an older one, but reduces it to more basic terms. Theory reduction itself is divisible into three parts: translation, derivation, and explanation

Ontological Reductionism

• ontological reductionism is the belief that the whole of reality consists of a minimum number of of entities/substances
• ontological reductionism denies the idea of ontological emergence, and claims that emergence is an epistemological phenomenon that only exists through analysis or description of a system, and does not exist fundamentally

a dualist who is an ontological reductionist would believe that everything is reducible to two substances—as one possible example, a dualist might claim that reality is composed of “matter” and “spirit”

ontological reductionism takes two forms: token ontological reductionism and type ontological reductionism

• Token ontological reductionism is the idea that every item that exists is a sum item. For perceivable items, it affirms that every perceivable item is a sum of items with a lesser degree of complexity. Token ontological reduction of biological things to chemical things is generally accepted.
• Type ontological reductionism is the idea that every type of item is a sum type of item, and that every perceivable type of item is a sum of types of items with a lesser degree of complexity. Type ontological reduction of biological things to chemical things is often rejected

Methodological Reductionism

• the scientific attempt to provide explanation in terms of ever smaller entities

in a biological context, this means attempting to explain all biological phenomena in terms of their underlying biochemical and molecular processes

Theory Reductionism

• Theory Reduction is the process by which one theory/explanation absorbs another

e.g. both Kepler’s laws of the motion of the planets and Galileo’s theories of motion formulated for terrestrial objects are reducible to Newtonian theories of mechanics because all the explanatory power of the former are contained within the latter. Furthermore, the reduction is considered beneficial because Newtonian mechanics is a more general theory—that is, it explains more events than Galileo’s or Kepler’s

theory reduction itself is divisible into three parts: 

• translation
• derivation
• explanation