Emergentism

Emergentism is the belief in emergence(duh). According to the simplest definition, emergence means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You're most likely to read about this subject as it pertains to the philosophies of life or mind, although it's by no means limited to these areas. Here's a link to get you started.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergentism

And already, the problems begin. Life. Mind. Both nouns. You know- persons, places and things. But, oh no, there's that 'thingness' rearing its ugly head again! Sometimes I wonder if our misconceptions are almost always about language. We seem to pull ontological entities out of the void simply by the recitation of holy words, a summoning upon the altar of Webster. Life and consciousness are no longer a product. Instead, they are mystical butterflies springing from cocoons of physicality that have trapped them like air in a bicycle tube.

It's as if I assembled an ax handle and an ax head, and 'chop' leapt into being. Or held three balloons together and Mickey Mouse was born. We have come to understand many such 'things' in this fashion. Consciousness. Morality. Justice. Value. It's a mythological approach, and really not a whole lot different from ascribing personalities to the natural forces of wind, fire and rain. And there, look and see! I've done it again. For wind, fire and rain are really descriptive terms for processes, with 'process' itself being just a word for stuff doing stuff. And stuff...well, I think you get my point. Ugh, words! It's like pointing at the moon and believing you have green cheese in your hand. Oh well, we seem to be stuck with them until the Vulcans come and teach us melding, or pon far, or whatever that shit was.

Even the concept of information can be taken too far and escape into the world of ghosts. Where is the information in your computer, if not in the configuration of physical gates? And yet some serious thinking folks have posited the idea that information 'itself' actually undergirds the physical structure of the universe.

Somewhere along the line I'll be addressing some of the concerns I have with this kind of magical thinking, regarding some of the more popular takes on emergentism on a variety of issues. This post is just meant to be a primer to get things started. Until next time, here's some more reading...and then, a movie!!!

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/8QzZKw9WHRxjR4948/the-futility-of-emergence