Examples of Holons in Society

Arthur Koestler's concept of a holon describes any entity that is simultaneously:

• A whole (autonomous, self-reliant, with its own identity and rules), and

• A part (subordinate to, and serving, a larger system).

Society is organized as a nested holarchy of such holons. Here are clear, real-world examples across different scales:

1. Individual Human Being

   • Whole: A complete, autonomous person with thoughts, goals, and self-regulation.

   • Part: A member of a family, team, organization, or nation.

2. Family/Household

   • Whole: A self-contained unit with its own dynamics, rules, budget, and identity.

   • Part: A subunit within a neighborhood, community, or extended kinship network.

3. Team or Work Department

   • Whole: Operates with internal leadership, goals, culture, and decision-making.

   • Part: Contributes to the larger organization or company.

4. Corporation or Organization

   • Whole: Has its own strategy, brand, hierarchy, and profit motive.

   • Part: Operates within an industry, supply chain, and national economy.

5. City or Municipality

   • Whole: Self-governing with local laws, services, identity, and economy.

   • Part: A component of a state/province and nation.

6. Ethnic or Religious Community (e.g., Jewish diaspora communities)

   • Whole: Maintains distinct cultural practices, institutions, education systems, and identity.

   • Part: Integrated into (and contributing to) the broader host society and global civilization.

7. Nation-State

   • Whole: Sovereign entity with government, laws, military, and cultural narrative.

   • Part: A participant in international organizations (UN, NATO, EU) and the global system.

8. Supranational Entity (e.g., European Union)

   • Whole: Has its own parliament, currency (euro), court, and policies.

   • Part: A regional bloc within the emerging global system.

9. Humanity as a Whole (the emerging social superorganism)

   • Whole: Collectively shaping planetary systems through technology, culture, and economy.

   • Part: A layer within the biosphere/Earth system (Gaia), and potentially within larger cosmic evolution.

These nested holons illustrate the dual nature Koestler emphasized: each level asserts its own autonomy (self-assertive tendency) while remaining subordinate to the demands of the larger whole (integrative tendency). Healthy social evolution depends on balancing these two tendencies—too much autonomy leads to fragmentation; too much integration leads to totalitarian suppression of difference.