Which term refers to the idea that the living organism is greater than its parts?

Which term refers to the idea that the living organism is greater than its parts?

• A. Innate
• B. Mechanistic
• C. Vitalism
• D. Homeostasis

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is that life cannot be fully explained by simply summing its parts; there is an organizing principle or life force that makes the whole greater than the individual components. Vitalism is the term that captures this belief, positing that living beings are governed by a non-physical life force that gives rise to properties beyond the mere sum of their parts. The other options describe different concepts: innate refers to traits present from birth, mechanistic is a reductionist view that organisms are like machines explained entirely by chemistry and physics, and homeostasis is about maintaining internal stability. So, vitalism best aligns with the notion that the whole organism exceeds the parts.

The idea being tested is that life cannot be fully explained by simply summing its parts; there is an organizing principle or life force that makes the whole greater than the individual components. Vitalism is the term that captures this belief, positing that living beings are governed by a non-physical life force that gives rise to properties beyond the mere sum of their parts. The other options describe different concepts: innate refers to traits present from birth, mechanistic is a reductionist view that organisms are like machines explained entirely by chemistry and physics, and homeostasis is about maintaining internal stability. So, vitalism best aligns with the notion that the whole organism exceeds the parts.