Hierarchical Emergent Ontology and the Universal Principle of Emergence

This book offers a new look at emergence in terms of a hierarchical emergent ontology. Emergence is recognised as a universal principle, as universal as the principle of evolution. This is achieved by setting out the ontological criteria of emergence and such criteria’s various roles. The traditional dichotomies are overcome, e.g., the synchronic and diachronic perspectives are unified, allowing a single, universal principle of emergence to be applied across various fields of science. As exemplars of its practical utility in both explanation and prediction, this new approach is applied to three different scientific areas: cellular automata, quantum Hall effects, and the neural network of the mind. It proves that the resulting metaphysics of hierarchical emergent ontology plays a fundamental role in unifying science, an impossible task under classical reductionism. Preface Chapter 1: Reductionism and Holism Chapter 2: Towards a Universal Principle of Emergence (UPE) Chapter 3: Emergence in Physical Systems Chapter 4: Hierarchical Emergent Ontology (HEO) Acknowledgement Contents Chapter 1: Reductionism and Holism 1.1 Reductionism “in Principle”? 1.1.1 Reductionism 1.1.2 Holism 1.2 Downward Causation 1.2.1 Kim’s Arguments 1.2.2 Sperry and Searle on the Rolling Wheel 1.2.3 QMC and PDF Models of the Atomic Nucleus 1.2.4 Quarks, Tetraquarks, Pentaquarks 1.3 Classical Reductionism and the Atomist Hypothesis 1.3.1 Whole and Part, Supervenience and Epiphenomenality 1.3.2 Boundaries of Classical Reductionism References Chapter 2: Towards a Universal Principle of Emergence (UPE) 2.1 Universal Principle of Emergence? 2.1.1 What Is Emergence? 2.1.2 Ontological and Epistemological Emergence 2.1.3 Conceptions of Ontological Emergence 2.1.4 Bottom-Up and Top-Down 2.1.5 Ontological and Causal Reducibility 2.1.6 Emergence1 and Emergence2 2.1.7 Conclusion 2.2 Supervenience and Emergence 2.2.1 The Supervenient Conception of Emergence 2.2.2 Supervenience and Causality 2.2.3 The Non-supervenient Conception of Emergence 2.2.4 Hierarchy as a Result of Dependency and Determination 2.3 Nominal, Weak and Strong Emergence 2.3.1 Nominal Emergence 2.3.2 Strong Emergence 2.3.3 Weak Emergence 2.3.4 Ontological, Causal and Explanatory Reductionism 2.3.5 Complexity and Its Criteria 2.3.6 Explanatory Autonomy References Chapter 3: Emergence in Physical Systems 3.1 Contextual Emergence 3.1.1 A Quasiparticle as an Emergent Entity 3.2 Fusion Emergentism 3.2.1 A Dynamic Approach to Emergence 3.2.2 Transformational Emergence (TE) 3.2.3 Radical (Fusion) Emergence 3.2.4 The Basal Loss Feature of Fusion Emergentism 3.2.5 Conclusion 3.3 Strong Emergence in Simple Physical Systems 3.4 Machretic Determination and Mutualism 3.5 The Computational and Combinatorial Approaches to Emergence 3.6 How Strong Is Strong Emergence and How Weak Is Weak Emergence? 3.7 Emergence and Agent-Based Modelling 3.8 Conclusion References Chapter 4: Hierarchical Emergent Ontology (HEO) 4.1 Reductive and Nonreductive Supervenience 4.1.1 The Supervenience Tradition 4.1.2 The Functional Conception of Supervenience 4.1.3 Criticism of Kim’s Conception 4.1.4 How to Be Good 4.1.5 Multiple Realizability: Many Ways to Be Good 4.1.6 Token Identity? 4.1.7 The Heritage of Moore, Hare and Kim 4.1.8 Conclusion 4.2 Synchronic and Diachronic Concepts: Escaping the Dichotomy 4.2.1 The Core Issue Separating the Synchronic and the Diachronic 4.2.2 The Hierarchy of Levels 4.2.3 Weak and Pattern Emergence 4.2.4 Type and Token Emergence 4.2.5 What Is Emergent from the Computational Point of View? 4.2.6 Appearance and Persistence 4.2.7 The Ontological Role of Patterns 4.2.8 Diachronically Realized Synchronicity 4.2.9 Conclusion and Unifying Framework 4.3 Criteria of Emergence and HEO 4.3.1 Hierarchy 4.3.2 Autonomy 4.3.3 Holism 4.3.4 Persistence 4.3.5 Hierarchical Emergent Ontology (HEO) 4.3.6 Level Hierarchy 4.3.7 Degrees of Freedom 4.3.8 Inverted Pyramid Schema 4.3.9 Presuppositions to the UPE 4.4 HEO and the Cellular Automaton (GOL) 4.4.1 Level Hierarchy in GOL 4.4.2 Base and Emergent in GOL 4.4.3 Autonomy and Persistence in GOL 4.5 HEO and Quantum Hall effects (QHE) 4.5.1 Level Hierarchy in QHE 4.5.2 Base and Emergent in QHE 4.5.3 Autonomy and Persistence in QHE 4.5.4 Holism and Higher Organizing Principles 4.5.5 Emergent Dependency 4.6 HEO and the Neural Networks of the Mind (NNM) 4.6.1 The Neuron as a Fundamental Entity in NNM 4.6.2 Intensity in NNM 4.6.3 Synaptic Connection Types in NNM 4.6.4 Brain as the Home of NNM 4.6.5 Level Hierarchy in NNM 4.6.6 Base and Emergent in NNM 4.6.7 Autonomy and Persistence in NNM 4.7 HEO and Consciousness 4.8 Conclusion References Conclusion: Emergence and the Open Universe Index