On a compatibility between emergentism and reductionism

Emergence in Psychology

Theories of emergence have had a longstanding influence on psychological thought. Emergentism rejects both reductionism and holism; emergentists are scientific materialists, and yet argue that reductionist explanation may not always be scientifically feasible. I begin by summarizing the history of emergence in psychology and sociology, from the mid-19th century through the mid-20th century. I t...

Emergentism, Irreducibility, and Downward Causation

Several theories of emergence will be distinguished. In particular, these are synchronic, diachronic, and weak versions of emergence. While the weaker theories are compatible with property reductionism, synchronic emergentism and strong versions of diachronic emergentism are not. Synchronic emergentism is of particular interest for the discussion of downward causation. For such a theory, a syst...

Holism in the Sciences

1. Holism in biology 1.1 Reductionism, Mechanism, and Individualism 1.2 Vitalism 1.3 Emergentism 1.4 Examples: Physiology 1.5 Examples: Ecology 1.6 Examples: Evolutionary Biology 1.7 Examples: Genetics 1.8 Recurring Themes 2. Holism in physics 2.1 Holism in space–time theories 2.2 Holism in quantum physics 3. Holism in the social sciences 3.1 What is social holism? 3.2 Two types of social holis...

Mental Mechanisms: A Reductionist and Emergentist Rapprochement

Panpsychism: Prospects for the Mentality of Matter

Physicalism has a problem: experience must derive from wholly physical things, but how can physical matter produce experience? An answer to this question may require a drastic change in the physicalist paradigm. Some propose Panpsychism as the best available response. Panpsychism contends that all physical matter has mental properties. To many such a notion is a sheer absurdity. Two mainstream ...