Lecture series into Jan Smuts’ ‘Holism and Evolution’

Another perspective on the Planetary Paradigm into which we all must turn our own minds and thence our specific humble contributions to that perspective and its resultant behavioural actions.

———- Forwarded message ———
From: Claudius van Wyk <claudiusvanwyk@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2025 at 17:08
Subject: Lecture series into Jan Smuts’ ‘Holism and Evolution’
Ολος – The Holos ProjectSupporting a global shift to the holistic perspective

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Lecture series into Holism and Evolution – a Study Group 
Years ago I was consulting with The Institute for the Study of Man in Africa. It was instituted by the paleo-anthropologist, Prof Phil Tobias. At an event where I introduced the holistic perspective one of the members put a blunt question to me: “What can holism do for me?” My response was a bit flustered – I had not yet personalised it to that extent. Now we are ready to do so – to endeavour to make it meaningful for the ordinary person. We will do so in a free monthly study group into Jan Smuts’ book, ‘Holism and Evolution’ (1926) – starting next week Wednesday 23 January. 

Holism for ordinary folks
Apparently Albert Einstein, when visiting Columbia University, predicted that two mental constructs would inform the 21st century; his idea of ‘relativity’ and Smuts’ concept of ‘holism’. How, with us already a quarter way into the century, can that happen in this increasingly fragmented world? Some thirty years later, I have again reflected on that vexing question ‘…what can holism do for me?’. Yes, the deep holistic theory of Smuts, and his legacy, straddling science and philosophy, has thankfully become the subject of renewed academic review. But it still remains locked in lofty academic language. Then again in popular applications it easily becomes diluted into the different esoteric ‘alternative’ approaches, these often classified as pseudoscience. The time is surely overdue for the holistic perspective to be made available to ordinary folks – in its real practical meaning.

Unifying awareness
In contemplating that question, ‘…what holism can do for me…?’, my thoughts turn to humanity’s urgent need for new eyes and a new heart. The holistic perspective can help to fundamentally augment our vision: like a telescope – to find new meaning in the macrocosm, and the microscope – to see the poet’s ‘…world in a grain of sand’ – in the microcosm. The more deeply experienced awareness that holistic perspective and practice tends to open, helps bind the macro- and microcosmic into unifying human meaning. In so doing it can generate a new heart in humanity – one that informs more joyful ethical response.

Join our study group into ‘Holism and Evolution’
We are excited that in 2026 at a ‘Festival of Holism’ – www.holos.earth/pilgrimage-to-wholeness  – the Holos.Earth Project will initiate a celebration of one hundred years of the publication of Smuts’ ‘Holism and Evolution’. We will re-examine the effect and practice of this generative concept he coined – and contemplate its further development and application into the future – for the following hundred years?.

That is why in preparation for such a festival we are excited, now in 2025, to invite you to join our year long study group into the Holism and Evolution – unpacking its insights and implications in layperson’s language. Each of the twelve chapters will be examined in a free monthly hour-long interactive webinar. We commence this coming Wednesday 23 January @ 19h00 CET. On registration participants in each lecture will be supported by pre-reading on the chapter to be examined. This will hopefully ensure that we together can enjoy a rich explorative and revealing participatory dialogue.

Lecture dates:
1. Wed 22nd January: ‘Preface, The Reform of Fundamental Concepts’
2. Wed 12th February: ‘The Reformed Concepts of Space and Time’
3. Wed 12th March: ‘The Reformed Concept of Matter’
4. Wed 16th April: ‘The Cell and the Organism’
5. Wed 14th May: ‘General Concept of Holism’
6. Wed 18th June: ‘Some (applied) Functions and Categories of Holism’
7. Wed 16th July: ‘Mechanism and Holism’
8. Wed 13th August: ‘Darwinism and Holism’
9. Wed 10th September: ‘Mind as an Organism of Wholes’
10. Wed 8th October: ‘Personality as a Whole’
11. Wed 5th November: ‘Some Functions and Ideals of Personality’
12. Wed 3rd December: ‘The Holistic Universe’

E-mail me to register and receive the Zoom link and pre-reading – or email Info@holos.earth
Claudius van Wyk
Co-convenor: Holos Earth Project www.holos.earth