[ Summary ] · Chapter 4.1 : Emergence

Structural Emergentism

[ NB : Provisional texts. Level of writing : 2/5 ]



only available in French and partly in English.


Presentation & Content

Study of the "emergence" phenomenon, which would make it possible to clarify the material and structural causes of the appearance of increasingly complex properties : atomic, molecular, cellular, physiological, electrophysiological, neurobiological, psychological and sociological properties.

Summary

It would seem that the central nervous system is organised into neuroanatomical structures of increasing complexity (structural organisation levels) of which their own constitutive specificities (type of electrophysiological properties of the membranes, type of intra and inter structural networks, type of neuromediation) would allow the emergence, at each level, of functional properties (emergent functional properties), properties which would be the neurobiological bases of the behaviors.

Plan of the chapter

A - Structural Emergentism
B - Hierarchical Structuralism
Structural levels of organisation
Levels, Sub-levels and Parallel levels
Brief description of the levels of organisation
C - Systemic Emergentism
Emergent functional properties
Emergent functions, local and global
Factor of emergence

The various concepts and terminologies relating to structural emergentism are briefly presented in this introductory chapter.


A - Structural Emergentism

The theory of "Structural emergentism" is a descriptive theory, within the matter, of the structural conditions of emergence. It would be defined by the following fundamental characteristics :

For didactical reasons, although the structure and the function are two aspects of the same phenomenon, the structural and functional aspects are approached in two distinct paragraphs, in order to present the structural emergentist theory.


B - Hierarchical Structuralism

The study of the hyper-complex biological organisms would seem to show that the material structure, and more precisely the complexity of the organisation of this structure, would be a determining factor of the functional dynamics of the living being.

This apparently fundamental importance, in the functional dynamics of the hyper-complex biological systems, of the structure and its gradual levels of complexity would imply to privilege a "structuralist" method of description, analysis, clarification and justification of the psychobiological processes, using the analysis process of structurology, and giving greater importance to the factors of structure and hierarchy of complexity.
One could define this method and its theoretical framework by the concept of "Hierarchical structuralism".

a - Structural levels of organisation

One of the fundamental hypotheses of hierarchical structuralism is that the material structure of the biological organisms would be made up of various levels of organisation, having an increasing complexity.

A key concept would be that of STRUCTURE, indicating the particular organisation of the MATTER in SPACE.

The specificities and the characteristics of the STRUCTURE would be mainly at the origin of the constitution, the differentiation and the increasing complexity of the various levels of organisation.
And it is in order to underline the constitutional importance of the STRUCTURE and its gradual complexification that the term of "structural levels of organisation" is proposed.

One of the objectives of this research task is to define criteria of conformation and arrangement of the structure making it possible to distinguish and characterise the various structural levels of organisation.

Another subsequent objective is to reinterpret the anatomical and neuroanatomical data in hierarchical levels of organisation (see for example : Figure {4.3-3} : Visual orientation reduced).

Remarks

The model of organisational levels here presented is an outline. The complexity of the biological structures, and our partial knowledge of their organisation and their functions, makes it possible to present currently only one approximate hypothetical model.

b - Levels, Sub-levels and parallel levels

Structural and functional definition of the concept of level

Entities would constitute a level of organisation if and only if, on the one hand, the structure of these entities is delimited, allowing them an autonomous existence, and, on the other hand, if there are structuro-functional properties specific to these entities.

A level of organisation could be defined if there is a qualitative difference in complexity in the structure of the matter, involving the emergence of properties, radically new and different.

Sub-levels of organisation

It would be possible inside a level of organisation to define sub-levels if and only if it is possible to highlight structuro-functional characteristics peculiar to a subset of the constitutive entities of the considered level.

Parallel levels of organisation

The succession from the simple to the complex of the various levels of organisation would not be inevitably linear. One could consider a general linearity coexisting with parallel and/or divergent levels, of dissimilar organisational structure, and whose possible conjunctions would take part in the formation of a level of organisation of higher complexity.

Remarks

A whole of physical, physiological or psychobiological properties, valid to a level, sub-level or a parallel level of organisation, would not necessarily apply to another level of organisation.
Example : the strong interactions acting between certain elementary particles of the subatomic level do not have any direct influence between the molecular components of the cellular level.

c - Brief description of the levels of organisation

General description

Figure 4.1-1 : Levels of organisation reduced

Cosmic linearity

One could distinguish a first and principal successive arrangement of levels of organisation, relating to the Universe (Cosmic Objective Reality).

From the simpler to the most complex, one could distinguish the subatomic, atomic, molecular and cosmic levels.

From the molecular level, but only on the level of the terrestrial biosphere, parallel levels of organisation, specific to the biological organisms would exist.

There could possibly exist other, extraterrestrial, but currently unknown, parallel levels of organisation.

Biotic linearity

One could distinguish a second and parallel successive arrangement of levels of organisation, specific to the terrestrial biosphere and relating to biocenose (Biotic Objective Reality).

From the simpler to the most complex, one could distinguish the molecular, cellular, organismic and social levels.

From the organismic level, but only in the most complex animals, parallel levels of organisation, relating to the nervous system, would exist.

Neural linearity

Figure 4.1-2 : Levels of organisation of the CNS reduced

One could distinguish a third and parallel successive arrangement of levels of organisation, specific to the mammals nervous system.

From the simpler to the most complex, one could distinguish the neuronal, reflexive, instinctive, emotional, primary cognitive, unimodal cognitive and polymodal cognitive levels.

Description peculiar to the human being

Figure 4.1-3 reduced et 4.1-4 reduced : Levels of organisation relating to the human being

Figure 4.1-3 presents, in a graphic way, the various levels and their definition.
Figure 4.1-4 presents, in a textual way, the various levels, sub-levels and parallel levels.

Figures 4.1-3 and 4.1-4 gather the various levels, sub-levels and parallel levels in only one linearity, specific to the organismic and social structure of the human being.


C - Systemic Emergentism

The study of the conditions and the factors which allow the expression of new functional properties, according to the degree of complexity of the structure, would seem to show that these properties would depend on a phenomenon, specific to the hyper-complex systems, that one could define by the concept of "emergence".

In the hyper-complex biological systems, the apparently fundamental importance of the phenomenon of emergence in the expression of new functional properties, would suppose to privilege an "emergentist" method of description, analysis, clarification and justification of the psychobiological processes, privileging the factors of emergence and system.
One could define this method by the concept of "systemic emergentism".

Remarks

The fundamental emergentist hypothesis is that all the psychobiological properties (physiological, neurobiologic, psychic - consciousness included) could be explained within a monist materialist framework by the concepts of system and emergence.

This monist materialist hypothesis, of less fallibility, does not exclude the dualistic weak possibility, that starting from a certain level of complexity the emergence of new properties becomes more or less independent of the structural organisation. Nevertheless, in the current state of knowledge and except new contrary empirical data, it is this structuro-functional emergentist approach which is used within the framework of this research task to understand and clarify the appearance of the complex biological processes underlying human behaviors.

It should be noted that this research concerning the emergence and the factors of emergence is an exploratory research. The objective is, initially (i.e. in the framework of this thesis), to define a certain number of concepts and methods, and to find a certain number of relevant examples showing the advantage of this explanatory framework.

The complete and exhaustive emergentist description and clarification of the whole of the psychobiological properties of the human organism, insofar as it is realisable, will surely not intervene before several decades, owing to : (i) the complexity of the cerebral structure, (ii) the limited state of current knowledge, and (iii), not to exclude a priori, the potential possibility of a structure-function decoupling.

a - Emergent functional properties

One of the major hypotheses of the systemic emergentism is that, in the three-dimensional space of Euclidean type, the interaction of the whole of the characteristics (composition, architectonic, physical properties...) of the elements of each level of organisation would be responsible for the emergence of new properties, non-existent on lower levels.

Figure 4.1-5 : Example of emergence reduced

One of the objectives of this research task is, on each level of organisation, to characterise the various factors of emergence of the psychobiological processes of the human being.

Another objective, later, is to deduce, starting from the factors of emergence, the functional properties of each level of organisation.

This deduction is carried out either starting from the neuronal characteristics, from the type of neuromediation and from the neuroanatomical organisation of the considered level, or starting from data of the cognitive neurosciences (cognitive neuropsychology, cerebral imagery, studies on unitary neurons...).

Remarks

The characteristics of the emergence of new functional properties could be defined precisely by the structural and physical description of the factors in interaction.

The physical conditions of emergence get along on the scale of the biological phenomena : conditions of temperature, speed, gravity and energy of the terrestrial biotic systems.

The emergent properties of a level would become potential factors of emergences for new properties, emergent on higher levels of organisation.

One of the most ambitious objectives would consist in searching in a systematic and exhaustive way the whole of the factors of emergence of each level of organisation, and to determine by which actions and interactions of the physical type these factors will create the conditions of the demonstration of new properties. Then, starting from the whole of these precise descriptions, the objective would be to abstract from them the possible general laws which would control the phenomena of emergence.

On the hypothesis that, on the one hand, the structure would determine partially or completely the function, and that, on the other hand, the emergent properties would have primarily or completely structural bases, it would thus seem hardly possible to consider a functional study independent of a structural study.

b - Emergent functions, local and global

Definition of the concept of function : "In biology, progress of the systematic study of the organisation brought to establish a distinction between the bodies or the apparatuses and the functions, which are the coordinated whole of the operations that these apparatuses carry out for the maintenance of life." Menget P. 1999.

Figure 4.1-6 : Emergent functions, local and global reduced

In a general and diagrammatic way, it would seem that each structural element of a level of organisation l is at the origin of a local function. The regrouping of certain elements having each one a local function would functionally induce the emergence of a global function on this level l, and, structurally, the emergence of a new structural entity, of a higher level l+1.

By taking as a new reference the level l+1, it occurs a scaling, and the global emergent function of level l would become a local function of the level l+1.

Remarks

Compared to the localisationist structure-function problems, it would seem important to specify the type (local or global) and the level of organisation of reference of the function to be located.

c - Factor of emergence

The concept of factor of emergence denotes the entities which from their MATTER characteristics (atoms, ions, molecules, macromolecules, ...), of STRUCTURE (stereochemistry, three-dimensional conformation, cellular / histological / organic / synaptic morphology, connective organisation of the neural networks, ...), of SPACE (distance, thickness, surface, concentration, ...), of FORCE (strong, electromagnetic, weak, gravitational interaction), of ENERGY (nuclear, radiant, electromagnetic, thermal, chemical, ...), in the course of TIME (diffusion, enzymatic reactions, migration, growth, development, ...), will allow the physical conditions of the appearance of new properties.

The temporary criteria currently in the course of validation, concerning the neuroanatomical levels, would be: 1] Constitutive specificity of the integrating center : (i) Quantity of neurons (unitary, interneurons, networks). (ii) Electrophysiological properties of the membranes. (iii) Type of synthesised neurotransmitters. (iv) Specificity and complexity of the internal connectivity structure. 2] Specificity and complexity of the neuronal environment : (i) Quantity of connected structures. (ii) Type of connected structures (iii) Type and level of integration of the processes carried out by the connected structures. (iv) Type of afferences/efferences (Origin/destination internal/external ; Type of origin/destination effector/integration ; Modulatory/effector potentiality of the afference/efference ; Quantity of afferences/efferences).

Figure 4.1-7 : Factors of emergence reduced

The most general factors of emergence would be :

Another factor of emergence, very general but of different nature, would be the ORGANISATION. The factors relating to this factor of emergence would be :


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