“The result is frequently not linear – not a matter of simple addition – but rather non-linear, or exponential. An important resulting property of emergent behavior is that it cannot be predicted from simply studying the component parts.” (Source
)
- Individually unconscious neurons working together to create consciousness
- Individual stock traders combine and emerge into the stock market
- Individual cars combine to create traffic
- Collective phenomena of biological systems like actions of ant colonies, schools of fish, and swarms of bees
- “All organised bodies are composed of parts, similar to those composing inorganic nature, and which have even themselves existed in an inorganic state; but the phenomena of life, which result from the juxtaposition of those parts in a certain manner, bear no analogy to any of the effects which would be produced by the action of the component substances considered as mere physical agents.” ~ John Stuart Mill
- “The first method analyzes complex psychological wholes into "elements". It may be compared to the chemical analysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen, neither of which possesses the properties of the whole and each of which possesses properties not present in the whole. The student applying this method in looking for an explanation of some property of water — why it extinguishes fire, for example — will find to his surprise that hydrogen burns and oxygen sustains fire…” ~ Lev Vygotsky
- “Hierarchical organization in biological systems thus is characterized by an exquisite array of delicately and intricately interlocked order, steadily increasing in level and complexity and thereby giving rise neogenetically to emergent properties.” ~ Clifford Grobstein
- “Organisms are themselves expressions of … emergent order and agents of higher levels of emergence.” ~ Brian Goodwin
- Irreducibility - There is a lowest level of explanation and complexity beneath which a complete description is not possible.
- Alloying (Synergy) - Combinations can be much greater than the sum of their parts.
- Complex Adaptive Systems - An ensemble system that dynamically changes based on its constituents’ understanding of itself.
- Adaptation - Organisms adapt to their environment to enhance evolutionary fitness.
- Evolution via Natural Selection - Heritable traits that enhance evolutionary fitness become prevalent.
- Exaptation
- “A shift in the function of a trait during evolution.”
- Emergent Strategy
- “The decision-making process to follow new opportunities or to make changes when problems present themselves.”
- Conceptual Combination
- “A fundamental cognitive process by which two or more existing basic concepts are mentally synthesized to generate a composite, higher-order concept.”
- Principle of Compositionality
- “The meaning of a complex expression is determined by the meanings of its constituent expressions and the rules used to combine them.”
- Reductionism
- “An intellectual and philosophical position that interprets a complex system as the sum of its parts.”
Thanks for reading! If you liked this article, pay it forward. Share it with your network.
To learn about my expertise in corporate development and strategy, see my website
.
