General Jan Christiaan Smuts is probably equally remembered for his support of apartheid in South Africa and for originating the concept of holism, understanding systems as a whole, as opposed to reductionism, understanding them as the sum of their parts, in his book Holism and Evolution. Einstein found the work as impressive philosophically as his own Theory of Relativity was scientifically. Einstein referred to Smuts as “one of only eleven men in the world” who understood Relativity.
It’s always fascinating to watch the interplay of influence between science and philosophy, from John Locke’s philosophical influence on science to Charles Darwin’s influence on philosophy. Reading about Smuts, I find a man whose personal philosophy was enlightened by science, and whose personal philosophy inspires philosophical debate among scientists. There is something very thought provoking in these passages:
If matter is essentially immaterial structure or organization, it cannot fundamentally be so different from organism or life, which is best envisaged as a principle of organization; nor from mind, which is an active organizer. Matter, life and mind thus translate roughly into organization, organism, organizer.
Smuts uses the term “matter,” but today we would use “physics” or possibly “mathematics” as the base concept, with matter and life phenomena emergent from the base rules of our Universe (before the concept of emergence was articulated). Smuts articulated another hierarchy in the layers of this emergent process. Life is matter with the power to command matter. Mind is life with the power to command matter with purpose.
We can also see how the concept of entropy, and the idea of life swimming against its current, influenced Smuts’ ideas:
[While the] stream of physical tendency throughout the universe is on the whole downward, toward disintegration and dissipation, the organic movement, on this planet at least, is upward, and life structures on the whole becoming more complex throughout the course of organic evolution.
This quote reminded me of my favorite passage from Principa Discordia:
The whirlpools that swirl in a direction opposed to the main current are called “enclaves.” And one of them is life, especially human life, which in a universe moving inexorably towards chaos moves towards increased order. [sic]
We are a phenomena emergent from the basic laws of our universe, swimming against the tide of inert uniformity which everything not alive is moving toward.
I realize this is meandering, seemingly aimless post, but so is the subject matter. : )