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My question is how reductionism and emergentism/holistic related/same as to top-down bottom-up approach ? Please give me reference if possible

Roger Vadim
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quanity
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  • "Godel Escher Bach" by Douglas R. Hofstadter – Scott Rowe Jul 08 '23 at 10:16
  • You might find this answer relevant: 'What are the missing pieces that prevents us from deriving the laws of chemistry from physics?' https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/88537/what-are-the-missing-pieces-that-prevents-us-from-deriving-the-laws-of-chemistry/88543#88543 – CriglCragl Jul 09 '23 at 04:51

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Your question has 2 parts: The first refers to Ontology (reductionism-holism) and the second refers to a part of Epistemology, the Methodic (analytical, or top-down approach and synthetic or bottom-up approach). You will note that I do not include emergentism because it is independent of holism. So, the relation is this: (Reductionism, Analytic) <-> (Holism, Synthetic). Emergentism, which is an ontological thesis, remains outside this dilemma although, definitely, it is the thesis supported by modern science: Reality consists of the following levels that have emerged from the levels that preceded it in time: Physical->Chemical->Biological->Social->Technological. The philosopher Mario Bunge concisely but accurately exposes these issues in his PHILOSOPHICAL DICTIONARY (Prometheus Books).

Carabela1492
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  • Could you explain in details – quanity Jul 09 '23 at 04:35
  • Ontology vs epistemology doesn't translate as reductionism vs emergentism, because both ontology and epistemology can be reductionist or emergentist. – quanity Jul 09 '23 at 05:09
  • Our ontology determines our epistemology. The antithesis of reductionism is holism and, roughly speaking, one can say that the respective epistemologies are: For reductionism, analysis and for holism, synthesis. Emergentist uses both, depending on the issue being dealt with, and is therefore syncretic. In the best style of the natural sciences, we have, finally, a scientific philosophy in the way it approaches its subjects of study. – Carabela1492 Jul 18 '23 at 04:47
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Reductionism and emergence could both be viewed as bottom-up explanations.

Reductionism seeks to explain complex objects, such as an internal combustion engine, in terms of small interacting parts, such as atoms. The function of the larger object is "built up" from the functions of each of the small interacting parts, and in this way we could call it bottom-up.

Emergence, likewise, seeks to explain complex behaviors of a system, such as a sound wave, as a result of the system's small interacting parts. Again, the small interacting parts come first and the complex behavior is "built up" out of them, so this can be called bottom-up.

There is a different concept that some philosophers have called "strong emergence" in which top-level entities in a system somehow exert independent causal influence over lower-level entities. This does not, if you ask me, actually happen, but if it did it would be a top-down process.

Holism is a top-down view of a system, because it emphasizes high-level properties of the system over low-level ones.

causative
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    Emergentism rejects reductionism, and olds that even though some of the properties of the whole cannot be deduced from its properties of the parts and their interaction, that some of the organisational principles at the higher level organisation cannot be reduced organisational principles at a lower level – quanity Jul 09 '23 at 04:49
  • @quanity You're referring to "strong emergence" which I mentioned. The more common sense of "emergence" is reductionist (also called "weak emergence"). – causative Jul 09 '23 at 04:55
  • For example consciousness (atoms don't have consciousness but humans do have) is strong emergence – quanity Jul 09 '23 at 05:01
  • @quanity You're entitled to your opinion. What kind of emergence would you say sound waves or snowflakes fall under? – causative Jul 09 '23 at 05:52
  • @quanity Consciousness is not an emergent property arising from lower level physics. Consciousness is not physics at all. Consciousness does have a causal effect on brain cell activity, but that is not emergence as consciousness has no physical properties at all. – Pertti Ruismäki Jul 12 '23 at 04:36
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Reductionism means efficient causation is the only kind of causation that exists. Emergentism means efficient causation might not be the only kind of causation that exists. Some things (e.g. all living things) appear to be purposes because all of the efficient causality exists for the sake of the production of some whole.

Michael Kurak
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