Human Settlements Review - Parliamentary Monitoring Group

Human Settlements Review, Volume 1, Number 1, 2010
This new systems view can be seen
within modern physics where there is now
emphasis on processes, interrelationships
and interactions. It follows after a “bootstrap”
philosophy which has abandoned the idea
of fundamental building blocks as well as
fundamental entities such as laws. It rather
focuses on the dynamic interactions between
the different parts, which is ironic in a sense,
as this was the starting point of physics or
‘physis’ as it was termed then (Capra, 1975).
Physics did of course leave this holistic
view point to examine smaller and smaller
parts of life until physicists got to a point
when they realised the interconnectedness
of all parts they studied. This realization
of interconnectedness came about when
physicists did different experiments with atoms
and sub-atomic particles. Certain experiments
showed that atoms and sub-atomic particles
were particles while other experiments
showed that they were in fact waves (Capra,
1982). The same is true of light particles or
photons which also have both particle and
wave-like properties (Davies & Brown, 1988).
This became known as quantum theory.
This phenomenon bewildered scientists with
their mechanistic worldview as when they
examined life down to its most basic properties
(as mechanistic/Cartesian thinking promotes),
it was sometimes there and it was other times
wave-like (or not there). This paradox forced
scientists to change the way they view the
world. Scientists in other fields have also come
to realise the interconnectedness of life and
have started more holistic approaches to their
work, in line with a systems view point (Capra,
1975).
Along with a change in worldview from
mechanical to systems are the various protest
movements, such as the feminist movement
and the ecology movement, which also played
a role in changing the mechanistic worldview.
A certain kinship is linked between feminism
and ecology due to the view of Mother Nature
and the dominations exerted upon them under
similar conditions. A feministic and ecologistic
viewpoint would be an integral part of a
systematic viewpoint, with no part, in such a
movement taking dominance over other parts
(Capra, 1988).
A balance through a systematic viewpoint could
greatly improve the quality of our environment
and ourselves, and metaphors associated with
this viewpoint should be accurate of nature
and life’s true natures.
8. The Link with Other
Disciplines
Permaculture is a word contraction of both
permanent agriculture and permanent culture.
It was developed by David Holmgren and Bill
Mollison on the island of Tasmania, off the
coast of Australia, as a pro-active measure
to combat the degradation caused by political
and industrial systems (Mollison, 1991).
Holmgren and Mollison developed a lifestyle
system which focused on the interrelationships
between all the elements within the system.
These elements include plants, animals,
buildings, water, energy and communications.
How these elements interact will determine
how the system will be designed. Permaculture
is all about design and putting the right element
in the right place for efficiency in the functioning
of the said element (Mollison, 1988).
150