Final answer:
The sentence 'The whole is more than the sum of its parts' encapsulates the concept of holistic thinking, which emphasizes the system as an interconnected entity that cannot be fully understood simply by analyzing its individual elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sentence 'The whole is more than the sum of its parts' is best described by the concept of holistic thinking. Holistic thinking is an approach that emphasizes understanding the system as a whole, rather than solely focusing on its individual components. This philosophical outlook is deeply rooted in holism, which is concerning the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole. For example, in anthropology, holism signifies the approach to understanding societies by examining the different relationships and how they collectively function within the cultural realm.
Reductionism, on the other hand, is about breaking down complex systems into simpler parts to understand them better, which is somewhat opposite to holistic thinking. The scientific method is about a systematic investigation and testing of hypotheses, and skepticism involves doubt about the truth of something, which does not relate directly to the provided sentence.