====== Emergence ======

Describes the phenomenon that certain properties appear in a group or system that were not (recognisably) inherent in its parts or components.

===== Description =====

Groups or systems can, as a whole, show properties that are not apparent in their components. This "appearance" of new properties by combination of elements is called "emergence".

This concept also extends to the //disappearance// of properties; for example, both //sodium// and //chlorine// are toxic, whereas this property no longer appears in this form in the compound – [[wp>Sodium chloride|sodium chloride]], i.e. common salt.

In a certain sense, this also applies to properties that are undefined or have no real meaning in sin­gu­lar items but are relevant in groups or combinations. For example, references to //differences//, can fall under this category, like the following:

> <u ambiguous "Mu for herds with only one horse">Do the horses in this herd have multiple colours?</u>

This questions (or any answer to it, except possibly <span maniculus "see also:"><i lang="ja">[[glossary:mu|mu]]</i> </span>) makes limited sense for a herd of only one horse.

The principle of //emergence// limits the possibilities of making logical inferences from the components to the whole (<span maniculus "see:">[[logic:emergence:composition|fallacy of composition]]</span>), as well as conversely from the whole to its components (<span maniculus "see:">[[logic:emergence:division|fallacy of division]]</span>).

This can also be understood as a limitation to the principle of "<i :la>dictum de omni et nullo</i>" (<span maniculus "see:">[[glossary:distributivity|dis­tri­bu­ti­vity]]</span>), since this implies that there are properties which are true for all members of a group, but not for a single member (like, in the above example: "multi-colouredness" of the horses in a herd). 

The opposite of emergence is //resultance//, which describes properties of the whole that can be inferred from properties of the components.

==== Significance ====

The concept of //emergence// has proven extremely helpful in solving a wide range of logical problems. For example, many of the classical [[wp>Paradox|paradoxes]] can be resolved by considering the properties described as //emergent//.

For example, [[wp>Zeno of Elea|Zeno]]’s [[wp>Zeno's paradoxes#Arrow_paradox|arrow paradox]] can be easily resolved by considering //motion// as an //emergent// property of a time period that is not yet inherent in the individual instants of time.

==== Criticism ====

An often-voiced criticism against the concept of emergence is the claim that it is based on //incomplete knowledge// about the com­ponents’ properties. With deeper knowledge, //emergent// properties would presumably become resultant (see also: [[wp>Determinism|Determinism]]).

Whether this is true in all cases is certainly worth some discussion. However, one should at least consider the possibility in individual cases and establish whether a strict definition of emergence would still apply with deeper knowledge, depending on the specific case at hand.

===== See also =====

  * [[logic:emergence:index|Fallacies of emergence]]
    * [[logic:emergence:composition|Fallacy of composition]]
    * [[logic:emergence:division|Fallacy of division]]
  * [[generalization:mereological_fallacy|Mereological fallacy]]
  * [[mathematics:statistics:interpretation:ecological_fallacy|Ecological fallacy]]

===== Weitere informationen =====

  * [[wp>Emergence]] on //Wikipedia//
  * [[wp>Emergentism]] on //Wikipedia//

  * [[stanford>properties-emergent/|Emergent Properties]] on //Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy//