AITIC Session 10

The Doctrine of Levels

Neo-

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Computational Austrian
First law of Thermodynamics

classical

Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Pr.

Economics
Newton’s Laws of motion

Economics Simulation
Mathematical (agent models)
Game Theory
Modelling
DEDUCTION
Complexity
Statistical Science
Inferences INDUCTION

Artificial Heuristics
ABDUCTION Intelligence
1
Conger GP (1925) The doctrine of levels. Journal of
Philosophy, 22(12): 309–321. From: E: CO 11(2)
2009: 54–76. [S10]

AND

Chamberlin W (2009) Networks, emergence,

iteration and evolution. E:CO (December). [S12]

2
Four kinds of Levels: And we shall focus on the 4th

• Spatial: (Above / Below)

• E.g. the levels from earth’ core to topsoil
• Valuational: (Better / Worse): Idealists, Pragmatists
• Denotes increasing degree of harmony and intelligibility or increasing degrees
of amenability to human control. E.g. Societies with less inequality are better
• Logical: (More Inclusive/ Less Inclusive):
• E.g. Diversity in Co. Boards
• Developmental: Emergent Levels (METAPHYSICAL, SUPERVENIENT)

3
Emergent levels for Matter, Life, Mind
• Energies, electrons, atoms, molecules
• Matter: astronomical masses, solar systems, star clusters, galaxies …
• Biological Realm: organic compounds, micelle or infra-cellular
organisms, unicellular organisms, multicellular organisms, plant and
animal groups
• Neuropsychological (Social) Realm: specialized cells, nerve-areas
where conduction is reversible, reflex arcs, complex reflexes like
language-reactions, instinctive-emotional complexes, sentiments,
values, personalities, families or tribes, nations and races …
• Small teams (departments), Business Units, Companies
4
Our focus: The 4th Kind of level
• Developmental: Emergent Levels (METAPHYSICAL,
SUPERVENIENT)
• Suppose, C involves co-existence of B, B involves co-
existence of A, but …
• The A-kind does not involve co-existence of B, and the B-
kind does not involve the co-existence of C
• C is higher than B, B is higher than A.

5
Metaphysical or DEVELOPMENTAL Level: Premises (i.e. “Givens”)

Entity Entity
C B
Entity level C B involves Entity level B
C involves co- emerged from lower co-existence emerged from lower
of A
existence of B level entities B level entities A

Entity Entity

B A

Examples: 1. A Tornedo emerged from interaction of wind, dust particles and moisture.
2. The character of IIM Indore as a B-school emerges from interaction of
(a) routines and behavior of students in various programs (b) faculty actions
(c) Interaction triggered by various administrative policies and processes 6
 Metaphysical or DEVELOPMENTAL Level
Inference: C is higher than B, B is higher than A

Entity
C The B-kind
does not
necessarily
involve the co-
Entity Entity Entity
The A-kind existence of C
does not B B B
necessarily
involve co-
existence of B
Entity Entity Entity Entity Entity
A A A A A

When (or, under what circumstances) will existence of A kind NOT involve co-existence of B kind? 7
Example

Matter: Atoms, Molecules, Polymers => A, B, C

Life: Cells, organs, animal => A, B, C

Mind:
* Students in XII standard (school board) programs specializing
in Science, Commerce, Arts etc. => A
* Students in Undergraduate programs specializing in
Engineering, Science, Commerce, Arts, Medicine => B
* Participants of MBA program => C
8
Emergent (Developmental) levels: Matter, Life, Mind

• Lower events happen in a certain manner, and due to a certain kind of

relatedness a higher level emerges subsequently.
• The emergent level is distinguishable from other (lower) levels by
taking place later in time. Chamberlain (2009) adds:
• At a threshold of energy and complexity, systems develop new behavior
characteristics that we call ‘emergent phenomena’.
• The emergent traits may be totally unpredictable from what is known about
the component parts: “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.”
• Example: The atom is a different level of existence than the electron
• An atom has qualities/ properties different from that of an electron
• An MBA has qualities different from that of a new-entrant in a B-school
9
Evolution of Matter [source: Chamberlain 2009]

• As the Universe expanded and the temperature went

down (from millions of degrees at Big Bang, assuming
that BB indeed took place) protons and electrons formed
an emergent system, the hydrogen atom.
• Under gravity, H atoms coalesced to form stars.
• Thereafter, fusing of atoms produced other elements.

10
Evolution of Life
• At some sites, C,H,O,N formed molecules that interacted with
one another in a special way
• Some of the molecules that were products of chemical reactions in
the network not only served as substrates for additional reactions,
but they also served as catalysts for reactions that were involved in
their original synthesis.
• In this manner reactions became autocatalytic and the systems,
when provided with sufficient substrates, developed the ability to
grow and replicate.
• As these autocatalytic, self-replicating systems increased in number,
size and complexity they developed emergent characteristics that
we now associate with Life.
11
How later levels develop from previous ones?

12
 Mechanism # 1: Integration or creative synthesis

Examples
• Matter: Synthesis of water out of hydrogen and oxygen; Clouds & Rain
• Life: Synthesis of carbohydrates (fruits, leaves and shoots that ultimately feed the
world) from CO2, H2O, by chlorophyll and sunlight
• Mind: Synthesis of managers. IIM Indore forms of an IPM batch from
outgoing 12th standard students specializing in Science, Commerce, Arts
etc. based on performance in entrance examination and interview and
thereafter
• Indoctrinates them over a 3-year period with a curated set of knowledge topics
• Further indoctrinates them in a ‘standard’ 2-year MBA program with other recruits
13
Mechanism # 2: Mutuality of relations
• Matter: Presence of any two from electricity, magnetism and motion
leads to coming into being of the third (e.g. electric fan)
• Life: Pollen cycle. Birds and bees take honey, helps plant seeds spread
• Mind: Social wholes are constituted by progressively changing
mutual relations of individuals. “I never react to you but to you-plus-
me, … or I plus the interweaving-between-you-and-me meeting you
plus the interweaving-between-you-and-me …” (M.P. Follet).
• Classroom dynamics
• Two long-time friends chatting, vs. Two strangers chatting (say in a Train or in
a long-distance bus journey)
• Underlying husband-wife jokes (J. Mathrubootham)

14
New quality (or qualities) of the emerged level
The emerged level entity possesses a new quality distinctive
of the higher complex (and not found in the constituent
units)
Potentialities of a new unit are unknown until its
interactions reveal them, and identify them as qualities of a
new unit.

15
How to know a later level is indeed different?

16
Novelty must be recognized, rather than
demonstrated or explained!

17
How to know a later level is different?
Matter [E.g. Rain Cycle in Climate]
Material cycle
• Interaction modes are: absorption and emission
• E.g. wetness of H2O becomes apparent when its
property of adhesion to a (stone) surface is
observed. [Hydrogen and Oxygen do not display wetness]
• Energy Sources behind Interaction : Gravity,
Breeze, Heat, Sunlight …
18
 How to know a later level is different?
Life: [E.g. an Ecosystem]
Biological cycle
• Interaction modes are: ingestion and excretion [+ growth
and decay]
• Individually varying organisms in a group adjust their individual
insufficiencies and superfluities through mutual dependence
• E.g. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in symbiosis with pea legumes;
humans house friendly bacteria in the gut, etc.
• Energy Sources are chlorophyll cycle and
metabolism
19
How to know a later level is different?
Mind: [B-School, Company]
• Interaction modes are: Recruitment and Retrenchment, or Admissions
and Graduation (e.g. for an educational institution) or sourcing of raw
materials and distribution of finished goods (businesses)
• Coordination mechanisms are in evidence:
• B-School: Admissions process, curriculum development, examinations process,
graduation rules
• Company: Raw-material sourcing, manufacturing and distribution, branding
• Energy Sources manifested in exchange of money and resources (time,
effort, skill), where money is an artificial construct used as universal
medium of exchange

20
Summary: Doctrine of levels for Matter, Life, Mind
Matter (Inanimate) Life (Biology) Mind (society)
Interaction Absorption & Emission Ingestion & Excretion Recruitment & Retrenchment;
modes (+growth & Decay) Admissions & Graduation;
Sourcing & Distribution & Ads
Formation: Ex. Synthesis of water from Ex. Synthesis of Ex. Synthesis of managers
creative H2 and O2 carbohydrates
synthesis
Mutuality of Ex. Interplay between Ex. 1. Pollen cycle Stylized coordination mechanisms
relations electricity, motion, Ex. 2. Hosting friendly Ex. 1. Classroom dynamics
magnetism bacteria Ex. 2. Strangers chatting vs.
known people chatting
Energy Sources Gravity, Breeze, Sunlight, Chlorophyll cycle & Money as an (artificial) universal
Heat Metabolism unit of exchange; (wo)manpower
Intentionality Nil Low ( focused on survival) High (Survival + control of
conditions of living)
21
Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced complexity thinking
Matter (Inanimate)
Level of Least complicated:
Complication - no intentionality
- only forces of nature
Basic Model - Newtonian mechanics
- Conservation of mass &
energy
- Other closed systems
models, Maths, Stats, Etc.
Advanced - Second law of
Model Thermodynamics
- Quantum Theory
- Heisenberg’s Uncertainty
Principle
- Theory of Relativity, Etc.
Yet to be - Origin of the Universe
modelled - Unified field theory, Etc.
Life (Biology) Mind (society)
Somewhat complicated: Most Complicated:
- Survival intentionality - Intention to control & dominate
- Forces of Nature - Survival
- Forces of Nature
- Allometric growth - Management [Utility theory, Product
- Verhlust’s logistic law life cycle (Sigmoid curve), Porter’s 5
- Principle of relaxation forces, Economic order quantity, Black &
oscillations (biocoenoses) Scholes formula …]
Etc. – Organizations & organizing, Etc.
Genetic algorithms - Philosophy (Aristotle’s 4 causes, 4
Kauffmann’s NK models kinds of process theory, Knowledge as
Ant Colony Optimization justified true belief etc.)
Particle Swarms - Human behavior
Etc. - Human Decision-making
- Human-Machine interaction, Etc.
Morphogenesis - Beauty (Poetry, Literature, Art, …)
Metabolism, Etc. - AI Safety, Etc. 22
Creation of Mind: Unlike any in Matter or Life

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it.
Source: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56968/speech-friends-romans-countrymen-lend-me-your-ears
23
 Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest–
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men–
Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
Source: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56968/speech-friends-romans-countrymen-lend-me-your-ears
24
 When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
.
Source: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56968/speech-friends-romans-countrymen-lend-me-your-ears
25
 I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

Source: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56968/speech-friends-romans-countrymen-lend-me-your-ears
26
Creation of Mind: Unlike any in Matter or Life
Much have I travell'd in the realms of gold,
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;
Round many western islands have I been
Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.
Oft of one wide expanse had I been told
That deep-brow'd Homer ruled as his demesne;

Source: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44481/on-first-looking-into-chapmans-homer
27
 Yet did I never breathe its pure serene
Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He star'd at the Pacific—and all his men
Look'd at each other with a wild surmise—
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

Source: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44481/on-first-looking-into-chapmans-homer
28
REFERENCES

29
Base level common to Matter, Life, Mind
• Fundamental particles
• Leptons (e.g. Electrons): 3 kinds, charged -, charged +, neutral
• Quarks and Gluons: Q and G together make up hardrons. Combination of 6
different flavors of quarks produce hardrons with different properties (protons,
anti-protons, neutrons, pi-mesons, k-mesons, etc.).
• Only gluons participate in strong force interactions (say in the nucleus)
• Used to explain how the + charged protons co-exist in close proximity in the
nucleus of an atom (alongside protons)
• Bosons => weak force; Photons => electromagnetic force. Gravitons(?)

[source: Chamberlain 2009] BACK

30