Conatus: THIRD EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

C O N A T U S

emergence — what we might describe as ‘shallow emergence’. And there is at least the possibility of a deeper emergence, through such things as eco-systems, the bio-sphere, human culture and human societies. We noted the facts of emergence already accepted by science. Emergence is a very familiar thing for the simpler stuff of the world. Take two basic elements, like hydrogen and oxygen. Put them together — water. The properties of water are not somehow lurking mysteriously within the hydrogen and oxygen. The qualities of water only appear once the chemical compound has been formed. We can extend the idea of emergence ‘downwards’ by at least a couple of steps. An element is a combination of protons, neutrons and electrons. All of these smaller constituents are thought to be identical — every proton the same as every other — and so on. But each chemical element has different properties — emergent properties. And one step further down. All the constituent parts of matter don’t seem to have any actual position in space, until there is some collapse of quantum possibilities. Particles are an emergent quality of quantum possibilities.

We also noted that the search for what is termed ‘strong emergence’ or deep emergence — that is, emergence at more complex levels — is still on. The search for deep structures and patterns of which we already see hints in nature — from the spirals of galaxies to the growth of plants, shells and animal bodies. No doubt more will be understood of these in time, and there’s no reason that our new knowledge will contradict what is already known.

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