Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side; Some great cause, some new decision, offering each the bloom or blight, And the choice goes by forever ’twixt that darkness and that light.
James Russell Lowell, 1845
The theory of emergence points to a gradual, inexorable evolution of the cosmos, from atoms to galaxies to planets to life. Each emergent step arises from the interactions of numerous agents and yields an outcome much greater than the sum of its parts. Each emergent step increases the degree of order and complexity, and each step follows logically, sequentially from its predecessor.
We recognize this majestic progression only in hindsight. Emergent phenomena remain elusive—exceedingly difficult to predict from observations of earlier stages. Given hydrogen atoms, a tremendous conceptual leap is required to predict the brilliance of stars or the variety of planets. Given planets, no theoretician alive could predict the emergence of cellular life in all its diversity—nor, given cellular life, could anyone foresee the emergence of consciousness and self-awareness. The inherent novelty and layered complexity of emergent phenomena all but preclude prediction.
We are left, then, to ponder the possible existence of higher orders of emergence—stages of complexity that our brains can no more comprehend than a single neuron can comprehend the collective state of consciousness. Does the universe hold levels of emergence beyond individual consciousness, beyond the collective accomplishments of human societies? Might the cooperative awareness of billions of humans ultimately give rise to new collective phenomena as yet unimagined? If
higher stages of emergence await our discovery, then science and theology may someday converge into a more unified vision of the cosmos and our place in it.
As we search beyond the cookbook “how” of life to questions of meaning and value, the concept of emergence holds a powerful message. Each of our lives is shaped by the same two competing powers of creation and destruction that have held sway throughout the history of the cosmos: emergence and entropy. The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy—the disorder of the universe—must increase. Yet in discrete, precious pockets of matter—on planets, in oceans, within our own conscious brains—astonishing levels of emergent complexity arise spontaneously.
This dramatic contrast provides a metaphor for our own lives. Some people choose the paths of hate, war, intolerance, destruction, and chaos to hasten the triumph of entropy—the dark side of the universe. By contrast, most people use their energies to foster emergence—to build cities, feed the hungry, create art, heal the sick, promote peace, and add to human joy and well-being in countless other ways, both large and small.
What awesome power each of us holds to do good or ill; a single cutting insult, a single winning smile. Perhaps therein lies life’s meaning and value.