Emergence

Definition

Emergence is a central concept with respect to the dynamics of Reality as a whole, and in particular to the dynamics of Systems.

It is a concept strongly related to Complexity. It is through the complex interaction, the complex organization of elementary events into more complex events that emergence manifests itself as new and different properties and behaviors of the processes which make up the dynamics of the systems.

The whole Reality, the Universe in Evolution, is formed by Processes of Relations between Events, produced by Sources (Entities showing Agency, that always manifest two aspects, Agents / Forces and Acted / Fields). At all the levels of Reality, the organization of Action (Events) and Information (Relations) in more and more complex Processes produces the emergence of new and more complex levels of Reality. The collective behavior of elementary parts produces new properties and behavior in the the more complex systems that make up Reality.

What produces emergence?

Emergence is produced by the Interaction between Events created by Sources, in the form of Relations that organize elementary events into more complex events, in processes that make up Structures and Forms, that manifest properties or behaviors.

When and how emergence occurs?

In general, emergence occurs when an entity manifest properties its parts do not show on their own, properties or behaviors that emerge only when the parts interact in a larger whole.

What different kinds or levels of emergence do exist?

Weak emergence describes new properties arising in systems as a result of the interactions at an elemental level. Strong emergence describes the causal action of system upon its parts. Properties and behaviors so produced are irreducible to the properties and behaviors of the parts. The whole is more than the sum of the parts.

What emerges?

Relations between Events, or between Processes of related (or correlated) Events. Relations between Events, or Processes, produce Properties and Behaviors. In other words, from the Inter-Action of Events, new and more complex Action, new and more complex Relations, form new and more complex Information, that produces new and more complex Structures of Information, of Forms that compose the Reality.

Common definition

Links to Wikipedia pages:

• Emergence
• Emergence_(disambiguation)
• Information
• Complexity
• Complexity_(disambiguation)

See also

• Information
• Complexity
• Dynamics of Information
• Theory of Evolution

Links to the related sections of the TFNR Paper

• TFNR - Information: the evolution toward complexity
• TFNR - Evolution: the Dynamics of Information
• TFNR - The role of emergence in the construction of Reality

Classification

• Topic id: t_emergence
• Belongs to the class: Dynamics of Information
• Has as instances:
• Belongs to the groups: Dynamics of Information
• Semantic Map: ekm|map=m_ev_dynamics&topic=t_emergence
• Semantic Map Test Version: ekmt|map=m_ev_dynamics&topic=t_emergence