Emergence Revealed: Where the Whole is Always Equal, Never Greater, than the Parts

Abstract

Emergence, the enigma that captures the essence of system behavior, often leaves us marveling over its surprising outcomes. Emergence takes place when the dynamic interactions among the parts of a system give rise to properties or outcomes that would be absent if the parts acted in isolation. The idea of emergence is often summarized in the misleading trope that, “the whole is greater than its parts.” But let’s set the record straight and debunk this popular myth: the whole is always equal, never greater, than its parts. This article was originally published in iai News, under the title, "The Absurdity of Emergence: Emergence is abused in science and philosophy."