Saturday, November 20, 2010

Alexander, Emergence, Acceleration

Alexander's notion 'Emergence' has been susceptible to criticisms that it is abstract, vague, or even mystical. However, given, as he readily acknowledges, that his 'Space-Time' that underlies all emergents is nothing but Motion, a more concrete characterization of Emergence is available.
For, as is familiar in Modern Physics, higher levels of Motion can emerge from lower ones, simply by an increase in the rate of change, e. g. Acceleration emerges from Velocity, an increase in Acceleration emerges from Acceleration, etc. Furthermore, as is the case with multiple levels of Quality for Alexander, different levels of Motion can occupy one and the same location, e. g. one and the same phenomenon can be characterized either as Velocity or as Acceleration. Given that he seemingly accords little attention to Acceleration, it is unclear if he would accept an interpretation of Emergence in terms of it. Nevertheless, it does seem to provide that notion with some grounded concrete precision that it otherwise lacks.

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