No part taken alone can generate the emergent property. The emergent properties constitute the вЂњwholenessвЂќ. Emergent properties are the unique characteristics of a system that are generated only from the interaction of different parts in the system. One key concept in systems thinking is the emergent properties in a system. Aristotle taught that the whole is made up of its parts but it still differs from the sum of its parts. This concept was first put forward by Aristotle. I had a curious thought recently вЂ“ what is the sound of one hand clapping in light of systems thinking? Simplistically put, systems thinking is the understanding that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. I have read that the answer to the sound of one hand clapping is any sound you want it to be and also that the correct answer is silence with the gesture of one hand clapping. There is no correct answer, but there is a correct response- to think, to meditate on what you think you know so that you realize you do not truly know it all. One of my favorite koans is вЂ“ what is the sound of one hand clapping?ДЄs a teenager, I used to make my right hand alone clap and proudly say вЂњthis is the sound of one hand clappingвЂќ. The purpose of a koan is to challenge your mental model and go beyond what you thought to have understood. These lead to questions that do not always have correct answers. Zen koans are stories that are meant to make you think.

Whats one hand clapping