EMERGENCE (Social)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1062 ▶ |
| Object type | Human sciences, Methodology or model |
The emergence of a higher level of integration in complex systems through the functional association of heterogeneous groups of elements of lower complexity.
Complex systems must by necessity be heterogeneous, i.e. made of various complementary and interconnected subsystems.
Such subsystems are generally composed of a great number of similar elements, which have common requirements for their survival. However, it is frequently useful for such groups to enter in symbiosis with other groups of different characteristics. This process of association repeats itself through a number of complexity levels.
It has possibly been at work from the nuclear and atomic level on, and is also probably currently active with the progressive emergence of a planetary society.