The Concept of Emergence in Cognitive Science

Emergence in cognitive science refers to how complex mental phenomena arise from simpler components. For example, individual neurons in the brain work together, creating consciousness, thoughts, and feelings—things that aren't present in any single neuron but emerge from their interactions. It's like how individual ingredients combine to make a complex dish; the whole is more than just the sum of parts. Emergence explains how the brain's network of simple units can produce the rich, flexible experiences that define human cognition.