This approach is called reductionism. The theory stands in a sharp contrast to the holistic approach, which analyzes the whole. Holism theorizes that living matter or reality is made up of organic or unified wholes that are greater than the simple sum of the parts they are composed of. This can be readily demonstrated by the performance of an orchestra that seeks to produce beautiful sounds by playing various wind and string instruments in concert. The audience will be deeply moved by the combination of sounds, which is more than the mere total of sounds from individual instruments.
Holism also applies to medical treatment.
A doctor must treat any patient by thinking about the condition of the patient's whole body, rather than providing a cure only for the affected part. Physicists were formerly termed natural philosophers because they sought to grasp the true meaning of all things in the universe from a broad point of view. For instance, Newton studied alchemy, history and theology, in addition to mathematics and physics. Meanwhile, the reductionist school of thought places more emphasis on producing specialists. This line of thinking will inevitably step up efforts to separate universities and laboratories into smaller divisions.