The organismic theory of development: Romantic roots of a vital concept

Since the late 18th century, an organismic perspective has been contrasted with a mechanistic perspective. In the former, the whole dominates the parts, while in the latter, the parts dominate the whole. An organismic perspective further sees wholes as self-directed processes of progressive formation ( Bildung) rather than as static configurations or forms ( Gestalten). In sum, the organismic perspective focuses on living, developing, and interconnected wholes, in contrast to mechanical causality. This article explores the roots of the organismic perspective in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s scientific work (esp., his morphology), follows its influence through the 19th century, and highlights intersections within 20th-century psychology, particularly Heinz Werner’s organismic–developmental theory. Some key commonalities are a focus on the primacy of the whole, processes over products, the genetic method, (dis)continuities and transitions in development, the primordial unity of the senses, and the making of developmental comparisons. The organismic approach can be used today to revitalize our understanding of the dynamic constitution of culture and mind.