The Problem With Reductionism Illustrated

The Problem With Reductionism Illustrated August 20, 2012

The cartoon is good just for a chuckle, but I think it also illustrates an important point. Using the methods of analysis appropriate in an underlying domain will not produce useful results if applied without modification or addition to a different, overarching one. Organisms need to be approached differently than particles. Minds need to be approached differently again. Reducing things to their constituent parts can teach us important things, but we also need to study how they function as a whole, and do justice to their emergent properties. Reductionism can be deadly – for frogs, at least.

Via David Evarts on Facebook


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