25 found
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  1. Biological Emergence: a Key Exemplar of the Open Systems View.George F. R. Ellis - forthcoming - In Michael E. Cuffaro & Stephan Hartmann (eds.), Open Systems: Physics, Metaphysics, and Methodology (2025: Oxford University Press). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    The context for biological emergence is modular hierarchical structures; their existence is what enables functional complexity to arise. Because of the openness of organisms to their environment, complete initial data (position, momentum) of all particles making up their structure is insufficient to determine future outcomes, because unpredictable new matter, energy, and information impacts each organism from the exterior. Consequently, through Darwinian evolution, life has developed processes to handle this issue functionally on short time scales as well on longer developmental timescales. (...)
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  2.  74
    Emergence of Time.George F. R. Ellis & Barbara Drossel - 2020 - Foundations of Physics 50 (3):161-190.
    Microphysical laws are time reversible, but macrophysics, chemistry and biology are not. This paper explores how this asymmetry arises due to the cosmological context, where a non-local Direction of Time is imposed by the expansion of the universe. This situation is best represented by an Evolving Block Universe, where local arrows of time emerge in concordance with the Direction of Time because a global Past Condition results in the Second Law of Thermodynamics pointing to the future. At the quantum level, (...)
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  3. On the nature of emergent reality.George F. R. Ellis - 2006 - In Philip Clayton & Paul Davies (eds.), The re-emergence of emergence: the emergentist hypothesis from science to religion. New York: Oxford University Press.
     
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  4. Contextual Emergence of Physical Properties.Robert C. Bishop & George F. R. Ellis - 2020 - Foundations of Physics 50 (5):481-510.
    Contextual emergence was originally proposed as an inter-level relation between different levels of description to describe an epistemic notion of emergence in physics. Here, we discuss the ontic extension of this relation to different domains or levels of physical reality using the properties of temperature and molecular shape as detailed case studies. We emphasize the concepts of stability conditions and multiple realizability as key features of contextual emergence. Some broader implications contextual emergence has for the foundations of physics and cognitive (...)
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  5.  83
    The Causal Closure of Physics in Real World Contexts.George F. R. Ellis - 2020 - Foundations of Physics 50 (10):1057-1097.
    The causal closure of physics is usually discussed in a context free way. Here I discuss it in the context of engineering systems and biology, where strong emergence takes place due to a combination of upwards emergence and downwards causation. Firstly, I show that causal closure is strictly limited in terms of spatial interactions because these are cases that are of necessity strongly interacting with the environment. Effective Spatial Closure holds ceteris parabus, and can be violated by Black Swan Events. (...)
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  6.  64
    Physical, Logical, and Mental Top-Down Effects.George F. R. Ellis & Markus Gabriel - 2021 - In Jan Voosholz & Markus Gabriel (eds.), Top-Down Causation and Emergence. Cham: Springer Verlag. pp. 3-37.
    In this paper, we explore the architecture of downward causation on the basis of three central cases. We set out by answering the question of how top-down causation is possible in the universe. The universe is not causally closed, because of irreducible randomness at the quantum level. What is more, contextual effects can already be observed at the level of quantum physics, where higher levels can modify the nature of lower-level elements by changing their context, or even creating them. As (...)
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  7.  60
    From Matter to Life: Information and Causality.Sara Imari Walker, Paul C. W. Davies & George F. R. Ellis (eds.) - 2017 - Cambridge University Press.
    This book tackles the most difficult and profound open questions about life and its origins from an information-based perspective.
  8. Physics and the Real World.George F. R. Ellis - 2006 - Foundations of Physics 36 (2):227-262.
    Physics and chemistry underlie the nature of all the world around us, including human brains. Consequently some suggest that in causal terms, physics is all there is. However, we live in an environment dominated by objects embodying the outcomes of intentional design (buildings, computers, teaspoons). The present day subject of physics has nothing to say about the intentionality resulting in existence of such objects, even though this intentionality is clearly causally effective. This paper examines the claim that the underlying physics (...)
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  9.  28
    Physics, Determinism, and the Brain.George F. R. Ellis - 2021 - In Jan Voosholz & Markus Gabriel (eds.), Top-Down Causation and Emergence. Cham: Springer Verlag. pp. 157-214.
    This chapter responds to claims that causal closure of the underlying microphysics determines brain outcomes as a matter of principle, even if we cannot hope to ever carry out the needed calculations in practice. The reductionist position is that microphysics alone determines all, specifically the functioning of the brain. Here I respond to that claim in depth, claiming that if one firstly takes into account the difference between synchronic and diachronic emergence, and secondly takes seriously the well established nature of (...)
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  10. On the Nature of Emergent Reality.George F. R. Ellis - 2006 - In Philip Clayton & Paul Davies (eds.), The re-emergence of emergence: the emergentist hypothesis from science to religion. New York: Oxford University Press.
     
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  11.  68
    Emergence in Solid State Physics and Biology.George F. R. Ellis - 2020 - Foundations of Physics 50 (10):1098-1139.
    There has been much controversy over weak and strong emergence in physics and biology. As pointed out by Phil Anderson in many papers, the existence of broken symmetries is the key to emergence of properties in much of solid state physics. By carefully distinguishing between different types of symmetry breaking and tracing the relation between broken symmetries at micro and macro scales, I demonstrate that the emergence of the properties of semiconductors is a case of strong emergence. This is due (...)
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  12.  16
    Quantum Physics, Digital Computers, and Life from a Holistic Perspective.George F. R. Ellis - 2024 - Foundations of Physics 54 (4):1-29.
    Quantum physics is a linear theory, so it is somewhat puzzling that it can underlie very complex systems such as digital computers and life. This paper investigates how this is possible. Physically, such complex systems are necessarily modular hierarchical structures, with a number of key features. Firstly, they cannot be described by a single wave function: only local wave functions can exist, rather than a single wave function for a living cell, a cat, or a brain. Secondly, the quantum to (...)
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  13.  32
    Physical Time and Human Time.George F. R. Ellis - 2023 - Foundations of Physics 54 (1):1-17.
    This paper is a comment on both Bunamano and Rovelli (Bridging the neuroscience and physics of time arXiv:2110.01976. (2022)) and Gruber et al. (in Front. Psychol. Hypothesis Theory, 2022) and which discuss the relation between physical time and human time. I claim here, contrary to many views discussed there, that there is no foundational conflict between the way physics views the passage of time and the way the mind/brain perceives it. The problem rather resides in a number of misconceptions leading (...)
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  14.  39
    Why Reductionism does not Work.George F. R. Ellis - 2021 - In Oliver Passon & Christoph Benzmüller (eds.), Wider den Reduktionismus -- Ausgewählte Beiträge zum Kurt Gödel Preis 2019. Springer Nature Switzerland. pp. 51-92.
    Kurt Gödel opposed the reductionist viewpoint of logical positivism. The arguments I give below show he is correct. The reductionist explanation he opposed is doomed to failure.
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  15. Physics, Complexity, and the Science-Religion Debate.George F. R. Ellis - 2006 - In Philip Clayton & Zachory Simpson (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Science. Oxford University Press. pp. 751-766.
    Accession Number: ATLA0001712277; Hosting Book Page Citation: p 751-766.; Language(s): English; General Note: Bibliography: p 765-766.; Issued by ATLA: 20130825; Publication Type: Essay.
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  16. Kenotic ethics and SETI : a present-day view.George F. R. Ellis - 2014 - In Douglas A. Vakoch (ed.), Extraterrestrial altruism: evolution and ethics in the cosmos. New York: Springer.
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  17.  61
    Nancey Murphy's Work.George F. R. Ellis - 1999 - Zygon 34 (4):601-607.
    Nancey Murphy has been influential in the religion‐and‐science field through her espousal of the work of Imre Lakatos, more recently developed into a three‐tier approach to the joint epistemology of scientific and religious thought incorporating also the ideas of Hempel and MacIntyre. She has proposed a substantial influence of the radical reformed tradition on science and has demonstrated the nature of social influences on the form of Darwinism. She has developed important links between ethics and the science‐theology debate and has (...)
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  18. Ordinary and extraordinary divine action : the nexus of interaction.George F. R. Ellis - 2009 - In Fount LeRon Shults, Nancey C. Murphy & Robert John Russell (eds.), Philosophy, science and divine action. Boston: Brill.
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  19.  22
    Responses to Part I: Applications of George Ellis’s Theory of Causation.George F. R. Ellis - 2021 - In Jan Voosholz & Markus Gabriel (eds.), Top-Down Causation and Emergence. Cham: Springer Verlag. pp. 329-344.
    In this response, George Ellis comments on the publications of Part I. He responds first to Sara Green and Robert Batterman, before outlining his thoughts on Otávio Bueno’s piece.
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  20.  16
    Response to Part II: The View from Physics.George F. R. Ellis - 2021 - In Jan Voosholz & Markus Gabriel (eds.), Top-Down Causation and Emergence. Cham: Springer Verlag. pp. 345-362.
    In this response, George Ellis comments on the publications of part II. He responds first to Barbara Drossel, before outlining his thoughts on Thomas Luss’s and Ulf-G. Meißner’s piece.
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  21.  15
    Response to Part III: The View from the Life Sciences.George F. R. Ellis - 2021 - In Jan Voosholz & Markus Gabriel (eds.), Top-Down Causation and Emergence. Cham: Springer Verlag. pp. 363-375.
    In this response, George Ellis comments on the publications of part III. He responds first to Denis Noble, before outlining his thoughts on Larissa Albantakis’, Francesco Massari’s, Maggie Beheler-Amass’ and Giulio Tononi’s piece.
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  22.  14
    Response to Part IV: The Debate on Top-Down Causation and Emergence.George F. R. Ellis - 2021 - In Jan Voosholz & Markus Gabriel (eds.), Top-Down Causation and Emergence. Cham: Springer Verlag. pp. 377-408.
    In this response, George Ellis comments on the publications of Part IV. He responds first to James Woodward, Richard Healey, Jan Voosholz, Simon Friederich and Sach Mukherjee, before outlining his thoughts on Max Kistler’s piece.
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  23. Science, complexity, and the nature of existence.George F. R. Ellis - 2007 - In Nancey Murphy & William R. Stoeger (eds.), Evolution and emergence: systems, organisms, persons. New York: Oxford University Press.
     
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  24. The Science & Religion Dialogue.George F. R. Ellis - 2004 - International Society for Science and Religion. Edited by J. C. Polkinghorne & Holmes Rolston.
     
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  25.  31
    Affective Neuronal Selection: The Nature of the Primordial Emotion Systems.Judith A. Toronchuk & George F. R. Ellis - 2012 - Frontiers in Psychology 3.
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