The limits of reductionism

The limits of reductionism in the life sciences.

In the contemporary life sciences more and more researchers emphasize the "limits of reductionism" (e.g. Ahn et al. 2006a, 709; Mazzocchi 2008, 10) or they call for a move "beyond reductionism" (Gallagher/Appenzeller 1999, 79). However, it is far from clear what exactly they argue for and what the envisioned limits of reductionism are. In this paper I claim that the current discussions about re...

The limits of reductionism in biology: what alternatives?

Quantifying the relationship between multiple immunological parameters and host resistance: probing the limits of reductionism.

Although reductionist experimental designs are excellent for identifying cells, molecules, or functions involved in resistance to particular microbes or cancer cells, they do not provide an integrated, quantitative view of immune function. In the present study, mice were treated with either dexamethasone (DEX) or cyclosporin A (CyA), and immune function and host resistance were evaluated. Multi...

Complexity in biology. Exceeding the limits of reductionism and determinism using complexity theory.

the ultimate aim of scientific research is to understand the natural world. in order to achieve this goal, Western science has relied on different cognitive strategies, including simplification, both in terms of analysis and explanation. as the British natural philosopher Sir isaac Newton (1643–1727) put it, “truth is ever to be found in the simplicity, and not in the multi­ plicity and confusi...

The Limits of Reductionism in Medicine: Could Systems Biology Offer an Alternative?

This is the fi rst in a series of two articles that look at the lessons for clinical medicine from systems biology. S ince Descartes and the Renaissance, science, including medicine, has taken a distinct path in its analytical evaluation of the natural world [1,2]. This approach can be described as one of " divide and conquer, " and it is rooted in the assumption that complex problems are solva...