Center for Human Development Technology and Holistic Science:
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Holistic science serves the following general purposes:
One of the implicit assumptions of current scientific practice is that nature, especially organic nature, works according to a bottom up process, in which the characteristics of the smallest elements, be they atoms or molecules, have an upwards influence on all the things which they constitute. As an example, Darwinian mechanisms of evolution are based on the incidence of chance genetic mutations creating characteristics which are then reinforced/eliminated through the success/failure of the ensuing organism. This mechanism assumes that only a bottom up process takes place and not a top down process. In other words, there is no provision made for the possibility that organisms may influence, through their behaviour, the genes of which they consist. At the time of Darwin, Jean Baptiste Lamarck's earlier theories regarding a top down evolutionary mechanism were quickly swept aside by an avalanche of enthusiasm for the Darwinian view.
In the 1970's, a well known scientific commentator, Richard Dawkins, in The Selfish Gene, created the impression that every cell in the human body has exactly the same genes as every other cell. Before the century was out it was already being discovered that genes are constantly degrading or changing composition and being 'repaired' by other parts of the cell, and that there is quite a lot of variation from one cell to the next. This constant fluctuation in genetic composition leaves DNA wide open to influences that come into the cell from outside.
A holistic view looks at the possibility of the top down process while at the same time giving the bottom up process the recognition it deserves.
Given the vast amount of useful knowledge that science has generated it is absolutely futile for any one individual to expect to become familiar with all of it. For an ambitious scientist, to make any new contribution, usually involves learning increasing amounts about ever smaller portions of it. In order to avoid the disconnectivity and isolation between different fields of science that often ensues, it is important to create a method of discourse that enables people to communicate with each other and understand that they are participating in the 'same' science.
As far as it is possible, holistic science helps to join up the dots and put scientific discoveries into a whole world perspective that is relatively easy to take on board and doesn't require exhaustive study and learning.
In light of increasing specialisation in science, the holistic perspective provides a rational framework for cross-fertilisation between disciplines. It is hoped that this will help to spawn new discoveries and insights within reductionist science. The holistic view provides a place where scientists can go to for reflection before returning again to the specialist area in which they are doing their key work.
Holistic science would attempt to act as a Super Science within which all sciences are sub-sciences and to create or mimic the unifying formula that Einstein was convinced could be found that would draw all scientific knowledge together under common logical principles.
There are some who would say that all the important scientific discoveries have all been made. This may or may not be true, but certainly, holistic science can open up new fields of progress for human knowledge systems, society and civilisation.
Holistic science revolves around how to actually implement the scientific concepts generated by traditional reductionist means. If reductionist science has created the 40 numbers that makes up a lottery game system, then holistic science involves the different combinations and permutations of selecting the best 6 of those forty numbers when an input of knowledge is required in a specific situation. Holistic science can provide the knowledge base and training for making decisions regarding when to use what.