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Physical and Biological Emergence: Are They Different?

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Systemics of Emergence: Research and Development

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Abstract

In this paper we compare the features of models of emergence introduced within theoretical physics, mainly to account for phenomenology of second-order phase transitions, with the requirements coming from observations of biological self-organization. We argue that, notwithstanding the deep differences between biological and non-biological systems, the methods of theoretical physics could, in principle, account even for the main features of biological emergence.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Psicologia e Centro Interdipartimentale di Scienze Cognitive, Università di Pavia, Piazza Botta, 6-27100, Pavia, Italy

    Eliano Pessa

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  1. Eliano Pessa
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Italian Systems Society, Milan, Italy

    Gianfranco Minati  & Mario Abram  & 

  2. University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Eliano Pessa

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Pessa, E. (2006). Physical and Biological Emergence: Are They Different?. In: Minati, G., Pessa, E., Abram, M. (eds) Systemics of Emergence: Research and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-28898-8_25

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