Elementalism

...This is the position that the whole is not merely a collection of parts, but has its own uniqueness, and that the whole cannot be reduced to parts or elements. In contrast to this, elementalism claims that, for example, if elementary particles are discovered, nature will be ultimately explained, and that, for example, life phenomena can be understood by fully investigating the behavior of DNA. However, holism is the position that elementary particles and their aggregates also have their own unique behavior, and that atomic nuclei, atoms, molecules, objects, living organisms, humans, and society are also thought to have their own unique properties at each level, and that living organisms also have their own unique existence at the levels of nucleic acids, cell nuclei, cells, tissues, organs, individuals, and groups, and therefore cannot be reduced to elements.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "elementalism" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…全体は，単なる部分の集合ではなく独自のものを持ち，全体を部分や要素に還元できないとする立場をいう。これに対立する要素論(要素主義)elementalismでは，例えば要素的粒子が発見されれば自然は究極的に説明され，例えばDNAのふるまいを完全に究明すれば生命現象は理解できるなどと主張されることもある。しかし要素的粒子もその集合体は独自のふるまいを持ち，原子核，原子，分子，物体，生物体，人間，社会もそれぞれのレベルで独自の性質を持つと考えられるし，生物も核酸，細胞核，細胞，組織，器官，個体，集団のそれぞれのレベルで独自のあり方を持つので，要素に還元できないと考える立場が全体論である。…

※「elementalism」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報