The emergent property
Example: The emergent property of consciousness cannot be reduced to neurons alone.
Definition
"The emergent property" in philosophy refers to a characteristic or phenomenon that arises from the complex interactions of simpler components but cannot be predicted or explained solely by understanding those components. It highlights how new qualities emerge at higher levels of organization.
Etymology
The term "the emergent property" comes from the Latin word 'emergere,' meaning 'to rise out or up.' It was popularized in philosophy and science to describe how novel attributes appear in complex systems, which cannot be traced back to individual parts alone. Did you know? The concept has fascinated thinkers since the 19th century.
Learn to use this word actively
"The emergent property" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - Philosophy - (C2) - set 1", containing 120 commonly used words.
Would you like to not only understand these words, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select English as the language you want to learn.
Create a free account
