Integrative level explained
An integrative level, or level of organization, is a set of phenomena emerging from pre-existing phenomena of a lower level. The levels concept is an intellectual framework for structuring reality. It arranges all entities, structures, and processes in the universe, or in a certain field of study, into a hierarchy, typically based on how complex their organization is. When arranged this way, each entity is three things at the same time: It is made up of parts from the previous level below. It is a whole in its own right. And it is a part of the whole that is on the next level above. Typical examples include life emerging from non-living substances, and consciousness emerging from nervous systems.
Levels
The main levels usually acknowledged are those of matter, life, mind, and society. These are called strata in philosopher Nicolai Hartmann's ontology. They can be further analyzed into more specific layers, such as those of particles, atoms, molecules, and rocks forming the material stratum, or those of cells, organisms, populations, and ecosystems forming the life stratum.
The sequence of levels is often described as one of increasing complexity, although it is not clear whether this is always true: for example, parasitism emerges on pre-existing organisms, although parasites are often simpler than their originating forms.
Philosophies
Ideas connected to integrative levels can be found in the works of both materialist philosophers and anti-materialist ones. Some philosophers and scientists have argued against certain ideas about levels of organization (see).
See also
References
- Book: Comte, Auguste . Auguste Comte . Stanislav . Andreski . Clarke . Margaret . 1974 . 1830–1842 . The essential Comte: selected from Cours de philosophie positive . . 0064901815 . 1032574 . Course of Positive Philosophy .
- Book: Spencer, Herbert . Herbert Spencer . 1877 . Super-organic evolution . The principles of sociology . A system of synthetic philosophy . 6–8 . New York . . 3 . 2083641 . https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.22432/page/n13 .
- Book: Alexander, Samuel . Samuel Alexander . 1920 . Space, time, and deity: the Gifford lectures at Glasgow, 1916–1918 . 1916–18 . London . Macmillan . 1041642 .
- Book: Sellars, Roy Wood . Roy Wood Sellars . 1922 . Evolutionary naturalism . Chicago . . 172131 .
- Book: Morgan, C. Lloyd . C. Lloyd Morgan . 1923 . Emergent evolution . . London . . 3140885 .
- Conger . George P. . 4 June 1925 . The doctrine of levels . . 22 . 12 . 309–321 . 10.2307/2014178 . 2014178 .
- Book: Wheeler, William Morton . William Morton Wheeler . 1928 . Emergent evolution and the development of societies . New science series (New York, N.Y.) . New York . . 3399922 .
- Book: Needham, Joseph . Joseph Needham . 1943 . 1937 . Integrative levels: a revaluation of the idea of progress . Time: the refreshing river (essays and addresses, 1932–1942) . London . . 233–272 . 1148711 . https://archive.org/details/timerefreshingri00need/page/233 .
- Book: Hartmann, Nicolai . Nicolai Hartmann . 1940 . Der Aufbau der realen Welt: Grundriß der allgemeinen Kategorienlehre . Ontologie . 3 . Berlin . . 174268798 . 10.1515/9783110823844 . 9783110823844 .
- Novikoff . Alex B. . Alex B. Novikoff . March 1945 . The concept of integrative levels and biology . . 101 . 2618 . 209–215 . 10.1126/science.101.2618.209 . 17814095 . 1672950 . 1945Sci...101..209N .
- Book: Hartmann, Nicolai . Nicolai Hartmann . Kuhn . Reinhard C. . 1952 . 1949 . New ways of ontology . Neue Wege der Ontologie . Chicago . H. Regnery Co. . 888650 .
- Feibleman . James K. . James Feibleman. May 1954 . Theory of integrative levels . . 5 . 17 . 59–66 . 10.1093/bjps/V.17.59 . 685952 .
- Boulding . Kenneth Ewart . Kenneth E. Boulding . April 1956 . General systems theory: the skeleton of science . . 2 . 3 . 197–208 . 10.1287/mnsc.2.3.197 . 2627132 .
- Sellars . Roy Wood . Roy Wood Sellars . September 1959 . Levels of causality: the emergence of guidance and reason in nature . . 20 . 1 . 1–17 . 10.2307/2104949 . 2104949 .
- Simon . Herbert A. . Herbert A. Simon . December 1962 . The architecture of complexity . . 106 . 6 . 467–482 . 985254 . 10.1.1.110.961 .
- Book: Bertalanffy, Ludwig von . Ludwig von Bertalanffy . 1968 . General system theory: foundations, development, applications . New York . G. Braziller . 1465 . registration .
- Book: Bunge, Mario . Mario Bunge . 1973 . The metaphysics, epistemology and methodology of levels . Method, model, and matter . Synthese library . Dordrecht; Boston . . 160–168 . 9027702527 . 613670 . 10.1007/978-94-010-2519-5_9 . https://books.google.com/books?id=2bUqBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA160 .
- Foskett . Douglas John . Douglas John Foskett . June 1978 . The theory of integrative levels and its relevance to the design of information systems . . 30 . 6 . 202–208 . 10.1108/eb050633 .
- Book: Greenberg . Gary . Gary Greenberg (psychologist) . Tobach . Ethel . Ethel Tobach . 1984 . Behavioral evolution and integrative levels . The T. C. Schneirla conference series . 1 . Hillsdale, NJ . . 0898593638 . 10997500 .
- Book: O'Neill . Robert V. . Deangelis . Donald Lee . Waide . J. B. . Allen . Timothy F. H. . Timothy F. H. Allen . 1986 . A hierarchical concept of ecosystems . Monographs in population biology . 23 . Princeton, NJ . . 069108436X . 13526197 . registration .
- Book: Greenberg . Gary . Gary Greenberg (psychologist) . Tobach . Ethel . Ethel Tobach . 1987 . Cognition, language, and consciousness: integrative levels . The T. C. Schneirla conference series . 2 . Hillsdale, NJ . . 0898597226 . 15317589 .
- Book: Blitz, David . David Blitz . 1992 . Emergent evolution: qualitative novelty and the levels of reality . Episteme . 19 . Dordrecht; Boston . . 0792316584 . 25370568 . 10.1007/978-94-015-8042-7 .
- Book: Pettersson, Max . 1996 . Complexity and evolution . Cambridge, UK; New York . . 052145400X . 34543726 . 10.1017/CBO9780511565564 . Foreword by Joseph Needham.
- Poli . Roberto . September 2001 . The basic problem of the theory of levels of reality . Axiomathes . 12 . 3–4 . 261–283 . 10.1023/A:1015845217681 .
- Book: Bunge, Mario . Mario Bunge . 2003 . Emergence and convergence: qualitative novelty and the unity of knowledge . Toronto studies in philosophy . Toronto . . 0802088600 . 52411064 . 10.3138/9781442674356 .
- DiFrisco . James . August 2017 . Time scales and levels of organization . . 82 . 4 . 795–818 . 10.1007/s10670-016-9844-4 .
- Brooks . Daniel Stephen . Eronen . Markus I. . June 2018 . The significance of levels of organization for scientific research: a heuristic approach . Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences . 68–69 . 34–41 . 10.1016/j.shpsc.2018.04.003 . 29653763 .
- Book: Brooks . Daniel Stephen . DiFrisco . James . Wimsatt . William C. . William C. Wimsatt . 2021 . Levels of organization in the biological sciences . Vienna series in theoretical biology . Cambridge, MA . . 9780262045339 . 1184123324 . 10.7551/mitpress/12389.001.0001.
Arguments against levels of organization
- levels-org-biology . Levels of organization in biology . Spring 2018 . Eronen . Markus I. . Brooks . Daniel Stephen . 5 February 2018 . See the section: "2.4 Levels skepticism and deflationary accounts".
- Eronen . Markus I. . January 2015 . Levels of organization: a deflationary account . . 30 . 1 . 39–58 . 10.1007/s10539-014-9461-z .
- Web site: Eronen . Markus I. . 3 August 2015 . Are there levels out there? . scientiasalon.wordpress.com . 20 December 2019 .
- Eronen . Markus I. . December 2013 . No levels, no problems: downward causation in neuroscience . . 80 . 5 . 1042–1052 . 10.1086/673898 . 10.1086/673898 .
- Guttman . Burton S. . February 1976 . Is 'levels of organization' a useful biological concept? . . 26 . 2 . 112–113 . 10.2307/1297326 . 1297326 .
- Noble . Denis . February 2012 . A theory of biological relativity: no privileged level of causation . Interface Focus . 2 . 1 . 55–64 . 10.1098/rsfs.2011.0067 . 23386960 . 3262309 .
- Book: Potochnik, Angela . 2017 . Levels and fields of science . Idealization and the aims of science . Chicago . . 161–197 . 9780226507057 . 975478843 . 10.7208/chicago/9780226507194.001.0001 . https://books.google.com/books?id=FeU3DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA161 .
- Book: Potochnik, Angela . 2021 . Our world isn't organized into levels . Brooks . Daniel S. . DiFrisco . James . Wimsatt . William C. . Levels of organization in the biological sciences . Vienna series in theoretical biology . Cambridge, MA . . 61–76 . 9780262045339 . 1184123324 . 10.7551/mitpress/12389.003.0007 . https://philarchive.org/archive/POTOWI.
- Potochnik . Angela . McGill . Brian J. . January 2012 . The limitations of hierarchical organization . . 79 . 1 . 120–140 . 10.1086/663237 . 10.1086/663237 .
- Schaffer . Jonathan . September 2003 . Is there a fundamental level? . . 37 . 3 . 498–517 . 10.1111/1468-0068.00448 . 3506125 .
- Book: Thalos, Mariam . 2013 . Without hierarchy: the scale freedom of the universe . Oxford; New York . . 9780199917648 . 827008044 . 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199917648.001.0001 .