For example, in governing they have devised methods of electing representatives to speak for them in a debating chamber. This debating chamber has the authority to make, break and modify laws implemented on the people. In science, they have developed a method of analysing the components of an issue and extrapolating observations seen on the small scale to what may occur in wider settings. Theories of how the atoms of carbon pack together in a diamond give rise to the explanation as to why diamonds posses incredible tensile strength. 

Reductionism, breaking down chains into links 

Reductionism forms part of scientific investigation. That is, problems are reduced to their smallest elements. This type of thinking is the gold standard in most fields of science. Indeed, this approach has been highly effective in providing many solutions in the laboratory setting and even further afield. Literally thousands of inventions, innovations and discoveries have been achieved by using knowledge of the component elements of things. The fundamental qualities of the electron and how it moves, is the basis of electricity generation and in turn electronics and all electrical equipment. The characteristics of bodily cells is the basis of all pharmacology; the main stay of Western medicine. 

Reductionism has its limits inside and outside of laboratories 

Reductionism is wholly appropriate in many laboratory situations. However, human affairs are not confined to the laboratory. There are many of life’s systems that do not have a micro paradigm by which the system may be modelled in isolation. 

Many theories about human population growth have been based on laboratory models like bacterial growth. How possibly is the growth curve of a colony of bugs in a laboratory dish related to the growth of human communities? Despite this obvious flaw, Malthusian theories and myths of human overpopulation of Africa and Asia are based on such reductionism. 

The complexities of the human social system can never be represented in the laboratory. Which is the best laboratory model of the extended or nuclear family? Guinea pigs, rats or rabbits or perhaps E. coli. Consider an example like mental illness, which is far less complex than the social system. We see that the most basic of human moods, such as anxiety or depressions, still have not been modelled adequately in the laboratory. These are the simplest of mental disorders; many times simpler than devastating illnesses such as schizophrenia. Western drug companies rely almost solely on a rat model of anxiety when testing new tranquillising drugs. In psychology circles, it is common place to find use of not only the rat model of panic attacks but also the pigeon and the gold fish. How possibly is the mood state of a gold fish related to a human in any way? It may be argued that the pseudo-science of psychology is outside the boundaries of sanity. However examples, equal in stupidity, are to be found in so-called proper science. For example, the extrapolation of the abstract super-string theory to man, life and everything. 

The whole philosophy behind these drug treatments and experimental models is based on reducing the mind to a series of chemicals within the brain. Because reductionists see behaviour as being the product of chemicals they see chemicals as the solution to behavioural problems. [see inset page 7, ‘Reductionism- out of place outside of labs’] 

Thus Prozac is prescribed quickly for those expressing the mood pattern that most normal humans experience from time to time, i.e. depression. Chemicals are used to control the moods of bored housewives, naughty children and menopausal women. These quick-fix chemical solutions have caused many problems in their own right, including social and economical. It is clear that the reductionist approach to the human mind is completely erroneous. 

The genetic code for life 

The ‘discovery’ of the genetic code has apparently answered many questions and solved many problems. This genetic code is considered to be the software that the human machine has been pre-programmed to run on. Genetic theories have settled creedal issues about the origin of human existence, explanations about diseases and natural phenomena, and offered many practical solutions for life’s problems. Over the last decade there has been a fierce debate in the West about the diversities of sexual inclination. One group of scientists even claimed to have proved the existence of a gene predisposing people to homosexuality. Genes have been cited as the cause of intelligence, mental illness, aggression and criminality. It is common place to find educated intelligent people discussing anything and everything in relation to a cryptic code encased within DNA. Today genes have been news worthy in relation to everything from being the source of intelligence to genetically manipulated source of Soya sauce. These are contemporary practical issues that have been addressed using genes. 

The very presence of humans on this earth has also been explained in the light of the genetic code. Gene theory is the ‘evidence-based’ explanation that has underpinned Darwin’s theories of evolution. For decades Darwin’s ideas were considered hair-brain and marginal. How did an abstract idea that was riddled with contradictions and incomplete arguments become so widely accepted? It wasn’t until gene theories matured that credibility started to be given to his theories. The grandfather of all genetic reductionism theories was a monk called Mendel. The birth of Mendelian genetics came from observations Mendel made about tall and short garden pea plants. Ironically all geneticists accept that he probably made up his results. No one has ever reproduced his exact experiments with such definitive outcome without the aid of clever statistical analysis. Thus the foundation stone of all genetics is fudged data. 

The limits of reductionism 

Societal and philosophical issues can not be assessed accurately using reductionism. Human societies are composed of various tenets. These include the individuals, the commonly held beliefs, thoughts, emotions and attitudes of these individuals, and the ruling system that touches all of their lives. Each of these tenets is interwoven with one another in a complex and elaborate manner. Each in turn is affected by a whole host of influencing factors, directly and indirectly. Many of the solutions put forward to solve crime, social issues, abuse and alcoholism are reductionist in nature. Crime is a particularly stark example of this. Punishments involving imprisonment, fines and even electronic tagging are desperate attempts to tackle one aspect of a wider issue. The results of which is an expensive mess. Expensive in more than just financial terms. The idea of addressing the symptoms rather than the disease may seem clichéd. However it is a cliché that epitomises reductionist thought. 

Islam - putting reductionism in its place 

The task of analysing and observing society is arduous, but not impossible. It is a misleading over simplification to consider society to be composed merely of those individuals that are present within it. Indeed such an over simplification is not atypical of the reductionist thought. 

Reductionism and scientific thought is an attitude that seeps deep into the Western mind set. It has effected much of the theory and practice of capitalism. Capitalists perceive society as being composed of individuals. Thus contented individuals equal a contented society. However the individuals are influenced by many things especially issues related to government. Muslims are wrong to adopt this attitude towards society. Sadly, it is oft repeated amongst Muslims, that to change the Islamic Ummah requires a reductionist approach. Some mistaken Muslims maintain that one must first change the individuals, then families, then communities, eventually arriving at the whole, the Ummah. This simplistic view overlooks the fact that the propaganda machine of kufr is always working to reverse any progress that is made in that direction. More importantly, the current corrupt governments are working by hook or by crook to annihilate any form of Islam that will jeopardise their existence. It is naive to think that changing our families, alone, to be good moral people, will in turn change society. 

Muslims should not see the world as a great big laboratory. We do not consider this world as a trial run, prototype or pilot study. It is considered a test from Allah (swt). Allah (swt) judges our behaviour in this world and we reap the rewards of it in the next life. Allah (swt) gave us a law to settle our human problems. We should therefore consider these problems as human problems. Issues are not reduced to being solely economical or solely educational. Economy can not be viewed in isolation of the ruling, education and social systems or indeed foreign policy. They are not to be reduced to their components merely because that is a convenient way to asses them nor are they to be reduced in an attempt to mimic the Western method of problem solving. 

Muslims should not allow themselves to be influenced by Western thought in any respect. That is especially true when trying to analyse our current situation. The Islamic World is dogged with problems. Are we to solve them by referring to a method that has proved to be problematic in the social context? 

Those Muslims that have reduced society to being merely a group of individuals should re-assess their observations. This is surely a reductionist conclusion. 

Conclusion 

A chain is as strong as its weakest link. This phase is most poetic, thought provoking and astute. However this is all well and good when applied to chains, but not to human societies.