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The Interdisciplinary Circulation of 'Holism' : From the Interwar Era to the 1980s

Hamnell, Bruno LU orcid (2026) In Lychnos. Årsbok för idé- och lärdomshistoria p.37-60
Abstract
Holism is a term charged with multiple meanings. Coined by statesman and botanist
Jan Smuts in 1926, it was mainly used in academia until its public breakthrough
around 1980. This article examines the interdisciplinary circulation of holism in
­ science during its first sixty years of existence, focusing on ecology, psychology,
­ medicine, social science, pedagogy, and philosophy. While primarily an epistemic
term, holism has carried ideological and spiritual connotations that have shifted over
time, from associations with totalitarianism in the interwar era to environmentalism
and New Age spirituality since the 1970s. By tracing the interdisciplinary history of
holism, this article maps its use in different... (More)
Holism is a term charged with multiple meanings. Coined by statesman and botanist
Jan Smuts in 1926, it was mainly used in academia until its public breakthrough
around 1980. This article examines the interdisciplinary circulation of holism in
­ science during its first sixty years of existence, focusing on ecology, psychology,
­ medicine, social science, pedagogy, and philosophy. While primarily an epistemic
term, holism has carried ideological and spiritual connotations that have shifted over
time, from associations with totalitarianism in the interwar era to environmentalism
and New Age spirituality since the 1970s. By tracing the interdisciplinary history of
holism, this article maps its use in different scientific contexts, identifies its partner-
and counter-terms, outlines what its appeal has consisted of and what its critics have
rejected, and shows how it moved beyond the domain of academia to become part of
the broader cultural vocabulary. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Environmental History, History of Psychology, Holistic Medicine, Holistic Pedagogy, Interdisciplinary Intellectual History, Jan Smuts, Knowledge Ideals
in
Lychnos. Årsbok för idé- och lärdomshistoria
pages
24 pages
publisher
Swedish History of Science Society
ISSN
0076-1648
DOI
10.48202/27809
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1840d6c3-e374-453f-ad98-6358cd53380d
date added to LUP
2026-02-25 11:14:21
date last changed
2026-04-09 17:22:42
@article{1840d6c3-e374-453f-ad98-6358cd53380d,
  abstract     = {{Holism is a term charged with multiple meanings. Coined by statesman and botanist<br/>Jan Smuts in 1926, it was mainly used in academia until its public breakthrough<br/>around 1980. This article examines the interdisciplinary circulation of holism in<br/>­ science during its first sixty years of existence, focusing on ecology, psychology,<br/>­ medicine, social science, pedagogy, and philosophy. While primarily an epistemic<br/>term, holism has carried ideological and spiritual connotations that have shifted over<br/>time, from associations with totalitarianism in the interwar era to environmentalism<br/>and New Age spirituality since the 1970s. By tracing the interdisciplinary history of<br/>holism, this article maps its use in different scientific contexts, identifies its partner-<br/>and counter-terms, outlines what its appeal has consisted of and what its critics have<br/>rejected, and shows how it moved beyond the domain of academia to become part of<br/>the broader cultural vocabulary.}},
  author       = {{Hamnell, Bruno}},
  issn         = {{0076-1648}},
  keywords     = {{Environmental History; History of Psychology; Holistic Medicine; Holistic Pedagogy; Interdisciplinary Intellectual History; Jan Smuts; Knowledge Ideals}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{37--60}},
  publisher    = {{Swedish History of Science Society}},
  series       = {{Lychnos. Årsbok för idé- och lärdomshistoria}},
  title        = {{The Interdisciplinary Circulation of 'Holism' : From the Interwar Era to the 1980s}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.48202/27809}},
  doi          = {{10.48202/27809}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}