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jguillen's picture

first thoughts

Submitted by jguillen on Sun, 01/25/2009 - 7:12pm.
I agree with the idea that there can be both emergent systems and systems that reflect both design and emergence. For example, a computer is made up of different parts that are designed to interact together in order to carry out a global function. However, there are also unintended properties that can result such as defects and bugs. There are definitely many things like “ripples” that can be invoked without a conductor or an architect. However, as we try to find real life examples in other types of phenomena it becomes increasingly difficult to understand this idea of no “architect”. I agree that this notion is problematic to many because we like to base the existence of things on human observation.  If we accept the definition of existence as dependent on our senses, then emergence could not have existed before humans. However, I find this difficult to accept. Even though emergence is a human constructed term, I think that something can exist even in the absence of a human observer. Just because humans do not know something now does not mean that it doesn’t exist. For example, just because we don’t know the cure for certain diseases does not mean that they don’t exist. We just have not discovered the cures, yet.

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