Why is holistic science important?
A reductionist explanation of nature is not only incomplete, it can also be dangerous. It leads us to assume that by analysing the “mechanical” workings of nature we can predict and hence manipulate it. In genetic engineering, for example, conventional scientists believe that genes are of primary importance in determining all the characteristics and behaviour of organisms. Holistic science recognises that a methodology that ignores the ecological context, complexity, emergent properties and intrinsic value of life, cannot capture the whole story.
