Active participants in development

While acknowledging that humans do react to internal (material) and external (efficient) causes, the organismic lens also recognizes material and final causes of human behavior.

• Considering material causes, humans are not just a collection of parts, they are complex organisms that are greater than the sum of their parts.
• Considering final causes, humans have a purpose, there are a direction and a process to development (Goldhaber, 2000; Pepper, 1970).

In short, the organismic lens views the human as a purposeful and active participant in constructing and interpreting his or her world (Lerner, 2002).