Gesamtheitliche

Gesamtheitliche is a German adjective used to describe an approach, view, or method that emphasizes wholeness and the interdependence of parts within a system. It derives from Gesamtheit, meaning totality or entirety, and denotes thinking that treats phenomena as a complete unit rather than as a mere collection of components. In practice, gesamtheitliche perspectives integrate diverse factors—social, biological, economic, cultural—within their broader context, seeking emergent properties and systemic relationships.

The term appears across disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, medicine, pedagogy, and ecology, where it is often used as a synonym or near-synonym of holistic or ganzheitlich. Although holistisch and ganzheitlich are more common in everyday language, gesamtheitliche is well established in academic and theoretical writing to stress the unity and integration of the whole.

Typical constructions include gesamtheitliche Perspektive, gesamtheitliche Diagnostik, or gesamtheitliche Betrachtung. In usage, the feminine singular form is gesamtheitliche Perspektive, reflecting standard German adjective declension with feminine nouns.

See also: Ganzheitlichkeit, Holismus, Systemdenken, Interdisziplinarität.