There are wholes, the behavior of which is not determined by that of their individual elements, but where the part-processes are themselves determined by the intrinsic nature of the whole. It is the hope of Gestalt theory to determine the nature of such wholes.
Interpretation
Gestalt theory emphasizes understanding wholes rather than just their individual parts, suggesting that the whole has its own intrinsic properties.
This quote by Max Wertheimer highlights the principles of Gestalt theory, which posits that the behavior and characteristics of complex systems or wholes cannot be understood solely by analyzing their individual components. Instead, the intrinsic nature of the whole shapes the interactions and behaviors of its parts, urging a holistic perspective in understanding phenomena.
In practice
In a philosophy class discussing holistic approaches to knowledge.
The basic thesis of gestalt theory might be formulated thus: there are contexts in which what is happening in the whole cannot be deduced from the characteristics of the separate pieces, but conversely; what happens to a part of the whole is, in clearcut cases, determined by the laws of the inner structure of its whole.
Science is rooted in the will to truth. With the will to truth it stands or falls. Lower the standard even slightly and science becomes diseased at the core. Not only science, but man. The will to truth, pure and unadulterated, is among the essential conditions of his existence; if the standard is compromised he easily becomes a kind of tragic caricature of himself.
Thinking consists in envisaging, realizing structural features and structural requirements; proceeding in accordance with, and determined by, these requirements; thereby changing the situation in the direction of structural improvements.
If our 'message' is anything, it's a positive approach to life. That life is basically good. People are basically good.
When life takes away the forms that you thought were the foundation of your life, what's left? The life that needs no foundation - that is the foundation. The formless. The essence.
The essence of the religious emotions consists in the feeling of an absolute dependence.
There are gods, but there is no God; and all gods become devils eventually.
I was always the youngest boy in my class at high school. I have retained this feeling of being the youngest, even though now I am almost the oldest person I know.
Identification with one's office or title is very attractive indeed, which is precisely why so many men are nothing more than the decorum accorded to them by society. In vain would one look for a personality behind the husk. Underneath one would find a very pitiable little creature. That is why the office is so attractive: it offers easy compensation for personal deficiencies.
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