The Human Question

In order to test for their existence, one would have to show that laws describing the behavior of components do not suffice, when combined, to account for the behavior of the whole. As in sub-atomic particles/atom; chemicals/bodily activity. What's really interesting is to consider how one could test in the domain of biochemistry. Careful also to avoid positing a special force alongside of the other forces (vitalism). Instead of vitalism, refer to Polanyi's heirarchical conception of things of levels of being. To dogmatise that there are no emergent properties would require one to say that all particles are conscious. For one would have to claim that what seems to have emerged in fact was already there. Monads, anyone?

After going through both a book each by Pinker and Dawkins, I note that neither of them talks about emergent properties. Any materialist who notes emerging properties is like the scribe whom Jesus said "was not far from the kingdom of God." In other words, it leads one out of reductionism, and in my opinion, is the first step in a path away from materialism. Apparently Pinker and Dawkins don't want to go in that directions, so they are careful not to take the first step.