The re‐emergence of “emergence”: A venerable concept in search of a theory

THE ORIGIN OF EMERGENCE I f "complexity" is currently the buzzword of choice for our newly minted millennium, as many theorists proclaim, "emergence" seems to be the explication of the hour for how complexity has evolved. Complexity, it is said, is an emergent phenomenon. Emergence is what "self-organizing" processes produce. Emergence is the reason why there are hurricanes, and ecosystems, and complex organisms like humankind, not to mention traffic congestion and rock concerts. Indeed, the term is positively awe-inspiring. As physicist Doyne Farmer observed, "It's not magicbut it feels like magic"