emergent property theory

Emergent property theory suggests that complex systems often exhibit qualities or behaviors that aren't evident from their individual parts alone. These properties arise when simple elements interact in specific ways, leading to new characteristics at a higher level of organization. For example, consciousness emerges from neural networks, even though individual neurons don't possess consciousness on their own. This concept helps explain how complex phenomena in nature, society, and technology develop from simpler components, highlighting that the whole is sometimes greater than the sum of its parts.