FYSP 041 - Emergence and the Unification of Knowledge

Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: 4 NS, QFR

This seminar explores the concept of “emergence”, in which systems of simple parts, such as ant colonies, produce complex behavior without guidance from a central authority. We will consider whether emergence is at the heart of longstanding problems in science, philosophy, and politics, and whether different fields of knowledge can be unified in a hierarchy in which one field (e.g., psychology) emerges from the field “below” it (e.g., neuroscience).
Enrollment Limit: 14
Instructor: P. Simen
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes