Emergentism

Abstract

We may wonder if the emergentist model owes too much to the two traditional alternative approaches (first or third person), although it is aware of its weaknesses it fails to complete its interesting contribution with an anthropological approach that may consider mind and mental phenomena as a reality that emerges, matures, develops and expresses itself in its unavoidable interpersonal and social contexts, as is shown by the psychological and anthropological research into the study of the development of human personality. We consider that three complementary elements or dimensions should be taken into account: the evolutionary aspect (the biological maturing process of the brain, which represents the jump from prehuman to human existence); the systemic aspect (the systemic way to understand the mind as the total structure of the brain); and the social aspect (the interpersonal and social dimension as the field where the mind and the person originate). It is only within the context of human society that each personal reality can be shaped as such. Thus, this proposal could be referred to as psycho-social-systemic emergentism.

Keywords

• evolution, emergentism, Philosophy of Mind, dualism, mind-body problem, psycho-social systemic emergentism