Abstract
In this paper, I put forward a benchmark account of emergence in terms of non-explainability and explicate the relationship that exists between its synchronic and diachronic declinations. I develop an argument whose conclusion is that emergence is essentially a “two-faceted” notion, i.e. it always encapsulates both synchronic and diachronic dimensions. I then compare this account with alternative recent accounts of (diachronic) emergence that define the concept through the notion of unpredictability or topological non-equivalence.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 31-54 |
Number of pages | 24 |
Journal | European Journal for Philosophy of Science |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Keywords
- Chaos
- Constitutive explanation
- Determinism
- Diachronic emergence
- Etiological explanation
- Synchronic emergence
- Topological equivalence
- Unpredictability