Physics and emergence

Abstract

This paper does three things: It distinguishes between weak and strong emergence; It sketches arguments proposed against strong emergence, and adumbrates a counter; It sketches the physical characteristics that strongly emergent systems need to arise. It argues that strong emergence is a necessary presupposition for the reality of the academic debate, as, without this preupposition, the debate is meaningless. It argues that strong emergence can arise in systems that involve folding properties, with multiple, non-contiguous micro-realisations of macro-states, sensitive dependence on external conditions, open interaction with an environment, non-linearity, and feedback loops.