# Emergence An **emergent** phenomenon is one (such as life, thought, or computation) about which there are comprehensible facts or explanations that are not simply deducible from lower-level theories, but which may be explicable or predictable by higher level theories referring directly to that phenomenon. It can be thought of as: high-level simplicity "emerges" from low-level complexity. Consider the example of a fortified wall. Its resistance to being knocked down can be explained [**reductively**](Reductionism.md) by regarding the wall as an aggregation of interacting molecules. The properties of these molecules are explained in terms of their constituent atoms, and the interactions of these atoms with one another, and so on down to the smallest particles and most basic forces. However, the strength of that wall can always be explained in terms of *emergent phenomena*. For instance, it may be strong because its builders feared that their enemies may try and force their way through it. 'Builders', 'enemies', 'fear' and 'trying' are all emergent phenomena. --- Date: 20240905 Links to: [Fabric of Reality](Fabric%20of%20Reality.md) pg 20, 21 Tags: References: * []()