Supervenience: Difference between revisions
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'''Supervenience''' is a form of strong [[Emergence|emergence]] characterized by independence in interdependence: a system A is causal independent from a system B, and yet physically embedded in it. To say that A supervenes on B means that there can be no change in A without a change in B. If a system A is embedded in a system B, it is usually not possible to say who chances in system B affect system A. They are causal independent of each other. And yet there cannot be a difference in the system A without difference in the underlying system B, because the system A is embedded and realized by system B. | '''Supervenience''' is a form of strong [[Emergence|emergence]] characterized by independence in interdependence: a system A is causal independent from a system B, and yet physically embedded in it. To say that A supervenes on B means that there can be no change in A without a change in B. If a system A is embedded in a system B, it is usually not possible to say who chances in system B affect system A. They are causal independent of each other. And yet there cannot be a difference in the system A without difference in the underlying system B, because the system A is embedded and realized by system B. | ||
In a more formal way, supervenience is a kind of dependency relationship, typically held to obtain between sets of properties. A set of properties A is supervenient on a set of properties B, if and only if any two objects x and y which share all properties in B (are "B-indiscernible") must also share all properties in A. | |||
Supervenience is related to trancendence, the state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of a system. It can be considered as a first step towards trancendence: if a system A which supervenes B is embedded and implemented in a system C, it has transcended B, because it exists above and beyond the limits of system B. | |||
== Examples == | == Examples == | ||
Revision as of 13:05, 1 January 2009
Supervenience is a form of strong emergence characterized by independence in interdependence: a system A is causal independent from a system B, and yet physically embedded in it. To say that A supervenes on B means that there can be no change in A without a change in B. If a system A is embedded in a system B, it is usually not possible to say who chances in system B affect system A. They are causal independent of each other. And yet there cannot be a difference in the system A without difference in the underlying system B, because the system A is embedded and realized by system B.
In a more formal way, supervenience is a kind of dependency relationship, typically held to obtain between sets of properties. A set of properties A is supervenient on a set of properties B, if and only if any two objects x and y which share all properties in B (are "B-indiscernible") must also share all properties in A.
Supervenience is related to trancendence, the state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of a system. It can be considered as a first step towards trancendence: if a system A which supervenes B is embedded and implemented in a system C, it has transcended B, because it exists above and beyond the limits of system B.
Examples
A common example is the mind (system A) which supervenes on the brain (system B): any change in one's mental state implies that there has been some kind of change in one's brain state.
Links
- Supervenience in Wikpedia
- Supervenience in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
