Interesting article. In principle, all the different sciences
are just one science at a different level of abstraction.
Would you agree with the following statements:
( weak and strong terms in the sense of
http://www.cas-group.net/wiki/Emergence )
A case of weak emergence requires a higher level
of abstraction for the patterns of the system:
it requires "a new branch of science". It is not
possible to define a code, protocol or interface which
connect both levels of abstraction and allow the implementation
of high-level patterns without knowing the low-level system.
A case of strong emergence (or supervenience)
requires a higher level of abstraction for the system
itself, it requires "a new kind of science".
It is possible to define a code, protocol or interface
which connect both systems and allow the implementation
of high-level patterns without knowing the low-level system.
In the first case the relationship between both levels
is a mutual interaction: high-level and low-level
patterns influence each other. The low-level realizes
the high-level, and the high-level is composed of the
low-level.
In the second case the relationship between both levels
is characterized by supervenience and implementation:
the low-level implements the high-level, and
the high-level supervenes on the low-level.
-J.
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