Emergent Properties: Phenomenology And Emergence

Emergence refers to the manner in which several particles, objects, or beings produce an outcome that would not be achieved without all of the units involved.  For example, a single water molecule does not possess the property of "wetness," but numerous water molecules result in wetness on other objects when they are placed together.  Wetness is an emergent property of having enough water molecules in one place.  This is an everyday example of emergence that many people take for granted, but the concept of emergence could apply in far more explicitly philosophical contexts--like the subject of consciousness.

Emergence has potential ramifications for phenomenology in particular.  If a collection of water molecules can produce an outcome that a single molecule does not, it is possible for a certain configuration of atoms to have produced initial human consciousness without explicit divine activity (of course, one can prove that it is possible even without the analogous example of water).  This hypothetical phenomenon can be referred to as emergent naturalism.  Despite the fact that it is not logically impossible for emergent naturalism to be true, however, there is no way to demonstrate that it is indeed valid.

Far too many overlook the fact that the exact origin of immaterial consciousness is irrelevant to several more important matters.  Regardless of whether God or matter creates human consciousness, there is still an uncaused cause, for instance.  Likewise, whether or not the first human consciousness was brought into existence by material causes, humans still possess free will; consciousness controls the body, not the other way around.  Furthermore, emergent naturalism for consciousness does not mean that all immaterial things are sustained by matter (logic and the very space that holds matter are not).

Consciousness very well may be the result of certain particle arrangements, but its potential emergence from matter cannot be verified or falsified because observed correlations do not confirm causation.  Acknowledging that emergent consciousness is a red herring to the issues of God's existence and free will, rather than making baseless assertions about unproven causal sequences, is the rational approach.  It is not as if emergent naturalism with regards to consciousness even slightly challenges the demonstrable veracity of basic theism and free will.