Introduction

Emergence is often described in terms of the slogan ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’. We assemble a model building from building blocks. If we understand the properties of the building blocks, then we might expect that the finished building possesses properties that are understandable from the things we know about the blocks and how they fit together. However, if it turns out that the building has some new feature that does not follow from what we know about the blocks, then that feature might be called emergent. Many things are at stake when asking questions about emergence. Do we believe that there are barriers to deriving the laws governing complex systems? Do we think that there is more to complex systems than simply the complication of their large size? Do we believe that the mind is only the result of a collection of biological circuitry, or is it something more or different? This volume addresses these questions.