Editing Emergence (section)

{{Short description|Unpredictable phenomenon in complex systems}}
{{Other uses}}
{{See also|Emergent (disambiguation)|Irreducibility (disambiguation)|Spontaneous order|Self-organization}}
[[File:SnowflakesWilsonBentley.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.20|The formation of complex symmetrical and [[fractal]] [[patterns in nature|patterns]] in [[snowflake]]s exemplifies emergence in a physical system.]]
[[File:Termite Cathedral DSC03570.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.10|A termite "cathedral" mound produced by a [[termites|termite colony]] offers a classic example of emergence in nature.]]
{{Complex systems}}

In [[philosophy]], [[systems theory]], [[science]], and [[art]], '''emergence''' occurs when a complex entity has properties or behaviors that its parts do not have on their own, and emerge only when they interact in a wider whole.

Emergence plays a central role in theories of [[integrative level]]s and of [[complex system]]s. For instance, the phenomenon of [[life]] as studied in [[biology]] is an emergent property of [[chemistry]] and [[physics]].

In philosophy, theories that emphasize emergent properties have been called [[emergentism]].<ref name=Wong/>