Against Radical Emergence

Abstract

Where should we look for evidence of radical or, as it is also called, ontological emergence? It might be thought that classical physics is not a very promising starting point. Yet there is a natural link between emergence and complexity. There is no doubt whatsoever that complexity engenders conservative, or epistemological, emergence. There is also an argument that the classical but peculiar phenomenon of chaos in dynamical systems implies that radical or ontological emergence may be a genuine feature of our world. I have my doubts, but the subject is intrinsically interesting and cannot fail to shed light on the general topic of emergence.