Answer
Reductionism is a theory that probably originated with Aristotle. It holds that a large complex organism like a human being is best understood by studying its constituent parts. This approach has its value, but it also has its limitations. A complete knowledge of the structure all parts of the brain, and all its neural circuits would not enable an anatomist to describe or predict a subject's personality or temperament.
Work Step by Step
Holism is a theory that holds that many of the properties of humans ( and animals) are emergent properties. Emergent properties are properties of the whole organism that cannot be predicted by studying individual components of the whole organism. This is expressed in the truism that a human being is " more than the sum of his/her parts". This means that for a physician to treat a patient's illness most effectively he/she must not concentrate on treating the specific ailment -- a gastric ulcer or an infected lung,--only , he must have some knowledge of the whole person --diet, exercise, sleeping habits, smoking habit, genetic inheritance, family disease history, mental health etc. The outcome of disease treatment is dependent not just on the therapy or drug; the patient's psychological characteristics , his view of life, his confidence in the prescribed treatment, and in his healthcare providers, all may have profound influences on the prognosis for and final resolution of his illness.
