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A holon refers to a System (or Phenomenon ) that is a whole in itself as well as a part of a larger system. It can be seen as systems nested within each other. Every system can be considered a holon, from a Subatomic Particle to the Universe as a whole. On a non-physical level, words, ideas, sounds, emotions – everything that can be identified – is simultaneously part of something, and can be viewed as having parts of its own. Since a holon is embedded in larger wholes, it is influenced by and influences these larger wholes. And since a holon also contains subsystems, or parts, it is similarly influenced by and influences these parts. Information flows bidirectionally between smaller and larger systems. When this parts, and parts no longer recognize the organizing authority of the wholes. Cancer is a good example of this breakdown in the Biological Realm . This Hierarchy of holons is called a Holarchy . It is a natural hierarchy in the sense that it is objective rather than subjective. Ken Wilber comments that the test of holon hierarchy is that if you were to remove a type of entity from existence, then all other entities of which it formed a part must of necessity cease to exist too. Thus an atom is lower in the hierarchy than a molecule, because if you removed all molecules, atoms could still exist, whereas if you removed all atoms, molecules would cease to exist too. The same test is true for letters and words, or people and countries. This natural hierarchy contrasts with other types of hierarchy (such as human leadership) which are dependent upon consensus and may be subject to dispute or change. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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