Micro-Determinism and Concepts of Emergence

by: Robert L Klee

Philosophy of Science, Vol. 51, No. 1. (1984), pp. 44-63.

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Abstract

Contemporary scientific theories assume a primarily micro-deterministic view of nature. This paper explores the question of whether micro-determinism is incompatible with the alleged emergence of properties and laws that some biologists and philosophers assert occurs in various biological systems. I argue that a preferable unified treatment of these emergence claims takes properties, rather than laws, to be the units of emergence. Four distinct conceptions of emergence are explored and three shown to be compatible with micro-determinism. The remaining concept of emergence, direct macro-determination, does not, I argue, meet the general requirement that an adequate scientific explanation provide a coherent mechanism or effective means of determination.

@article{citeulike:890603, abstract = {Contemporary scientific theories assume a primarily micro-deterministic view of nature. This paper explores the question of whether micro-determinism is incompatible with the alleged emergence of properties and laws that some biologists and philosophers assert occurs in various biological systems. I argue that a preferable unified treatment of these emergence claims takes properties, rather than laws, to be the units of emergence. Four distinct conceptions of emergence are explored and three shown to be compatible with micro-determinism. The remaining concept of emergence, direct macro-determination, does not, I argue, meet the general requirement that an adequate scientific explanation provide a coherent mechanism or effective means of determination.}, author = {Klee, Robert L. }, citeulike-article-id = {890603}, journal = {Philosophy of Science}, keywords = {emergence, emergent\_evolution}, number = {1}, pages = {44--63}, posted-at = {2006-10-10 02:04:30}, priority = {4}, title = {Micro-Determinism and Concepts of Emergence}, url = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/187730}, volume = {51}, year = {1984} }

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TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:890603 L3 - citeulike-article-id:890603 TI - Micro-Determinism and Concepts of Emergence JF - Philosophy of Science VL - 51 IS - 1 SP - 44 EP - 63 N2 - Contemporary scientific theories assume a primarily micro-deterministic view of nature. This paper explores the question of whether micro-determinism is incompatible with the alleged emergence of properties and laws that some biologists and philosophers assert occurs in various biological systems. I argue that a preferable unified treatment of these emergence claims takes properties, rather than laws, to be the units of emergence. Four distinct conceptions of emergence are explored and three shown to be compatible with micro-determinism. The remaining concept of emergence, direct macro-determination, does not, I argue, meet the general requirement that an adequate scientific explanation provide a coherent mechanism or effective means of determination. KW - emergence KW - emergent_evolution AU - Klee, Robert PY - 1984/// UR - http://www.jstor.org/stable/187730 ER -

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