Samuel Alexander on Emergence

Samuel Alexander, Space, Time, and Deity, vol. II, Peter Smith 1979,(originally published in 1920), p. 46:

The higher quality emerges from the lower level of existence and has its roots therein, but it emerges therefrom, and it does not belong to that lower level, but constitutes its possessor a new order of existent with its special laws of behaviour.  The existence of emergent qualities thus described is something to be noted, as some would say, under the compulsion of brute empirical fact, or, as I would prefer to say in less harsh terms, to be accepted with the "natural piety" of the investigator.  It admits no explanation.

If, however, the emergent entities admit of no explanation, if their emergence is a brute fact, then claims of emergence are open to the 'poof' objection.  It would appear to be rather unbecoming of a hard-assed physicalist to simply announce that such-and-such has emerged when he can offer no explanation of how it has emerged.  If interactionist dualists are supposed to be embarrassed by questions as to how mind and body interact, then emergentists are in a similar boat.

That being said, "natural piety" is a beautiful phrase.

Comments

[David Gordon]

The phrase comes from Wordsworth: http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/~ridge/local/mhlu.html

[Bill Vallicella]

David,

I rejoice in the erudition of my readership. Thanks. By the way, I am reading Jeff Walker, The Ayn Rand Cult. A real page-turner. Also, David Kelley, The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand. He's a much better philosopher than Peikoff. Have you reviewed either of these? Knowing you, you've probably reviewed both.

My Heart Leaps Up

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky.
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

[Neil Parille]

Dr. Vallicella,

Walker's book should be used with caution, but it contains lots of good stuff.

Another good book by Kelley is The Logical Structure of Objectivism.

http://www.objectivistcenter.org/cth-62-1354-Logical_Structure_Objectivism.aspx

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but if you want some background on the biographical controversy over Rand's life, you might want to check out:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/9421651/The-Passion-of-James-Valliants-Criticism

[Bill Vallicella]

Mr Parille,

Thanks for the links. I read part of your piece. It confirmed a conclusion I had already arrived at, namely, that Vaillant's book is not worth my time.