Emergence: logical, functional and dynamical [Book Review]

Synthese 185 (2):171-186 (2012)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Philosophical accounts of emergence have been explicated in terms of logical relationships between statements (derivation) or static properties (function and realization). Jaegwon Kim is a modern proponent. A property is emergent if it is not explainable by (or reducible to) the properties of lower level components. This approach, I will argue, is unable to make sense of the kinds of emergence that are widespread in scientific explanations of complex systems. The standard philosophical notion of emergence posits the wrong dichotomies, confuses compositional physicalism with explanatory physicalism, and is unable to represent the type of dynamic processes (self-organizing feedback) that both generate emergent properties and express downward causation

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,221

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

A Dynamical Account of Emergence.John Collier - 2008 - Cybernetics and Human Knowing 15 (3-4):75-86.
Emergence and reduction: Reply to Kim.Ausonio Marras - 2006 - Synthese 151 (3):561-569.
The reemergence of 'emergence'.Bryon Cunningham - 2001 - Philosophy of Science 68 (3):S63-S75.
Emergence, supervenience, and realization.Rex Welshon - 2002 - Philosophical Studies 108 (1-2):39-51.
Is weak emergence just in the mind?Mark A. Bedau - 2008 - Minds and Machines 18 (4):443-459.
Emergent Properties.Hong Yu Wong - 2015 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Analytics

Added to PP
2010-03-13

Downloads
238 (#76,981)

6 months
6 (#201,364)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Sandra Mitchell
University of Pittsburgh