the idea of the "holon" was introduced by Arthur Koestler in The Ghost in the Machine (1967) and was presented again at the Alpbach Symposium (1968) in a paper titled: Beyond Atomism and Holism - the concept of the holon. full text
Koestler defines holons as something that is simultaneously a whole and a part, thus reconciling atomism and holism. he presents holons as building block of self-regulating open hierarchic order as found in biological organisms. the concept of holons is the core thesis behind the implementation of holonic software designed to solve real problems faced by the modern holon.