Functional holism of systems

This research note presents an approach to assure that a system meets the basic property of holism. Holism is the principle that the whole is different from, and may be greater than, the sum of its rationally separable parts. This approach suggested in this research note focuses on the functions of the system and on the parts of the system. The approach incorporates the basic property of a system, namely, its hierarchy, and the functions, requirements and solutions for each layer of the hierarchy. The approach then integrates the system layers through their primary property, their functions. The premise of the paper is that a system is holistic if its functions are integrated into a single set of functions. This approach is consistent with the accepted concept of the systems approach because it incorporates the basic system concepts of functions and hierarchy and integrates those with the accepted properties of requirements and solutions. The approach is grounded in practicality because it provides a methodology to show that any real‐world system meets the criterion of holism. The approach is applicable to physical systems, abstract systems and systems of systems.