“[T]here is no phenomenon in a living system that is not molecular, but there is none that is only molecular, either.” – This sentence summarizes the system approach of the influential biologist Paul Weiss. The Austro-American started his research in the Biologischen Versuchsanstalt in Vienna, where he focused on problems in developmental biology. His PhD thesis, however, was in the field of animal behaviour. Research on the resting postures of butterflies led him to introduce his system approach, which was developed further in later years. As an experimental biologist he did not develop a system theory in a narrower sense, but used the system approach as a heuristic tool to structure his laboratory work and to explain his results. Using this approach, he sought basic characteristics of living systems. Some of his ideas have re-appeared in discussions of recent biology, sometimes with different labels, e.g. downward causation. His field concept also continues to be a topic in current developmental biology. This paper provides an overview of some important concepts of Weiss together with experiments that led to his system approach. A concise theoretical framework of his approach is still a desideratum.
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