holon

In his book "The Ghost in the Machine" (1967), Arthur Koestler coined the term holon to express the view that "every being is both a whole and a part of a greater whole. The Greek word holos (holon) is a word that is used in the Machine (1967). The term was coined by combining the Greek word holos (whole) and the suffix -on (part), which indicates a subatomic particle.

The Three Core of Holon

• Duality (Janus Principle)
  • Every holon has two opposing orientations at the same time: self-assertion = self-preservation and integration = cooperation.
  • The tension between independence and dependency creates system stability and evolution.
• holarchy (holarchy)
  • An "open hierarchy" of nested holons
  • Multi-layered structure of atoms, molecules, cells, organs, individuals, society...
• Self-regulating open system (SOHO)
  • At each tier, holons use feedback to self-regulate while also contributing to the upper tier.
    • Adopted the allegory of "Two watchmakers" by [Herbert Simon.

Why it matters

• [Perspectives beyond the "part-whole dichotomy
  • The traditional "elemental reductionism vs. holism" conflict can be integrated and complex systems can be reimagined as a dynamic hierarchy.
    • False dichotomy
• Common principles of biology, organization, and cognition
  • Provides a framework for comparing life phenomena, social organization, language, customs, etc. as "the same structure.
• Wide range of applications
  • Organizational theory - flat governance design such as holacracy or [sociocracy
  • System Design - Design guidelines for microservices and distributed systems
  • Consciousness research - developed into the Integration Theory (AQAL) by Ken Wilber et al.

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