— organicismal , — organicistic , adj. — organicist , n.
/awr gan"euh siz'euhm/ , n.
1. Philos. the view that some systems resemble organisms in having parts that function in relation to the whole to which they belong. Cf. holism .
2. Pathol. the doctrine that all symptoms arise from organic disease.
3. a view of society as an autonomous entity analogous to and following the same developmental pattern as a biological organism.
[ 1850-55; ORGANIC + -ISM ]