Organic describes forms, methods and patterns found in living systems such as the organisation of
cellsThe cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos...
, to
populationIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings. Individuals within a population share a factor may be reduced by statistical means, but such a generalization may be too vague to imply anything...
s, communities, and
ecosystemAn ecosystem is a system of interdependent organisms which share the same habitat, in an area functioning together with all of the physical factors of the environment. Ecosystems can be permanent or temporary. Ecosystems usually form a number of food webs...
s.
Typically organic models stress the interdependence of the component parts, as well as their differentiation. Other properties of organic models include:
- the growth, life or development cycle
- the ability to adapt, learn, and evolve
- emergent behaviour or emergent properties
- steady change or growth, as opposed to instant change
- regulatory feedback
- composed of heterogeneous (diverse) parts
Organic models are used especially in the design of artificial systems, and the description of social systems and constructs.
In the social sciences, the organic model has been drawn upon for ideas such as
organic solidaritySocial solidarity refers to the integration, and degree and type of integration, shown by a society or group with people and their neighbors. It refers to the ties in a society - social relations - that bind people to one another. Solidarity is commonly associated with political socialism, being...
, organic society and
organic unityIn literature, Organic unity is a concept founded by the philosopher, Plato. The structure in itself, started to take rudimentary form through certain works by Plato including The Republic, Phaedrus and Gorgias. Organic unity lacked a true definitive role or theme in literary history until the...
.
Organic describes forms, methods and patterns found in living systems such as the organisation of
cellsThe cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos...
, to
populationIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings. Individuals within a population share a factor may be reduced by statistical means, but such a generalization may be too vague to imply anything...
s, communities, and
ecosystemAn ecosystem is a system of interdependent organisms which share the same habitat, in an area functioning together with all of the physical factors of the environment. Ecosystems can be permanent or temporary. Ecosystems usually form a number of food webs...
s.
Typically organic models stress the interdependence of the component parts, as well as their differentiation. Other properties of organic models include:
- the growth, life or development cycle
- the ability to adapt, learn, and evolve
- emergent behaviour or emergent properties
- steady change or growth, as opposed to instant change
- regulatory feedback
- composed of heterogeneous (diverse) parts
Organic models are used especially in the design of artificial systems, and the description of social systems and constructs.
Uses
In the social sciences, the organic model has been drawn upon for ideas such as
organic solidaritySocial solidarity refers to the integration, and degree and type of integration, shown by a society or group with people and their neighbors. It refers to the ties in a society - social relations - that bind people to one another. Solidarity is commonly associated with political socialism, being...
, organic society and
organic unityIn literature, Organic unity is a concept founded by the philosopher, Plato. The structure in itself, started to take rudimentary form through certain works by Plato including The Republic, Phaedrus and Gorgias. Organic unity lacked a true definitive role or theme in literary history until the...
.
Carl RitterCarl Ritter was a German geographer. Along with Alexander von Humboldt, he is considered one of the founders of modern geography. From 1825 until his death, he occupied the first chair in geography at the University of Berlin.-Biography:Ritter was born in Quedlinburg, one of the six children of a...
forwarded the idea of
Lebensraumserved as a major motivation for Nazi Germany's territorial aggression, was a reinterpretation of the by then century-old concept of Drang nach Osten...
through the concept of an organic, growing
stateA sovereign state is a political association with effective internal and external sovereignty over a geographic area and population which is not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state...
.
In
computer scienceComputer science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation, and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems. It is frequently described as the systematic study of algorithmic processes that create, describe and transform...
, organic networks grow in an ad hoc manner, while
organic computingOrganic computing is a form of biologically-inspired computing with organic properties. It has emerged recently as a challenging vision for future information processing systems...
is autonomous and able to self-organise and
healSelf-healing is a phrase applied to the process of recovery , motivated by and directed by the patient, guided often only by instinct. Such a process encounters mixed fortunes due to its amateur nature, although self-motivation is a major asset...
.
BionicsBionics is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. The word bionic was coined by Jack E...
(biomimicry) is the engineering of technology through the use of systems found in
biologyBiology is the natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy...
.
Organic architectureOrganic architecture is a philosophy of architecture which promotes harmony between human habitation and the natural world through design approaches so sympathetic and well integrated with its site that buildings, furnishings, and surroundings become part of a unified, interrelated composition...
stresses interrelatedness as it the combines the site, buildings, furnishings, and surroundings into a unified whole, each adapted to the others. Examples include the use of
passive solarPassive Solar technologies are means of using sunlight for useful energy without use of active mechanical systems . Such technologies convert sunlight into usable heat , cause air-movement for ventilating, or future use, with little use of other energy sources. A common example is a solarium on the...
and wind energy as elements of design so that the building can be easily adapted to maintain the desired levels of human comfort within the structure.
In economics and business,
organic growthIn finance, organic growth is the process of business expansion due to increased output, sales, or both, as opposed to mergers, acquisitions, or take-overs. Typically, the organic growth rate also excludes the impact of foreign exchange...
refers to market growth that has happened gradually, and not through a sudden buyout or acquisition. An
organic organisationA term created by Tom Burns and G.M. Stalker in the late 1950s, organic organizations, unlike mechanistic organizations , are flexible and value outside knowledge....
is one which is flexible and has a flat structure, or one of minimal height.
In military,
organicIn military terminology, organic refers to a military unit that is a permanent part of a larger unit and provides some specialized capability to that parent unit. For instance, the US Marine Corps incorporates its own aviation units In military terminology, organic refers to a military unit that...
refers to mixtures of military unit types.
See also
- Genetic algorithm
A genetic algorithm is a search technique used in computing to find exact or approximate solutions to optimization and search problems. Genetic algorithms are categorized as global search heuristics...
- Cybernetics
Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to control theory and systems theory...
- Organic law
An organic law or fundamental law is a law or system of laws which forms the foundation of a government, corporation or other organization's body of rules. A constitution is a particular form of organic law for a sovereign state....
- Ecological Engineering
Ecological engineering is an emerging of study integrating ecology and engineering, concerned with the design, monitoring and construction of ecosystems...