The Emergence of Everything

This book looks at the history of the universe, explaining the succession of steps in the emergence of complexity. Emergent properties are those features of any system that resist reductionist approaches, that cannot be anticipated or understood by a complete analysis at the next lower level. Emergence is thus the key concept of the sciences of complexity, and Morowitz maps the path to our present position and condition into successive emergences, from primordial conditions of the big bang, to human transcendent and religious thought. This book will be a contribution to the dialogue between science and religion, as well as an ambitious, mature statement of the antireductionist agenda of the sciences of complexity, by one of our wisest scientists.

1: The emergence of emergence; 2: Ideas of emergence; 3: The twenty-eight steps; 4: The first emergence: the primordium; 5: Large-scale structure; 6: Stars; 7: The periodic table; 8: Solar systems; 9: Planetary structure; 10: The geospheres; 11: The emergence of metabolism; 12: Cells; 13: Cells with organelles; 14: Multicellularity; 15: Neurons; 16: Animalness; 17: Chordateness; 18: Vertebrateness; 19: Crossing the geospheres; 20: Reptiles; 21: Mammals; 22: The niche; 23: Arboreal animals; 24: Primates; 25: Great apes; 26: Hominization and competitive exclusion; 27: Tool makes; 28: Language; 29: Agriculture; 30: Technology and urbanization; 31: Philosophy; 32: The spirit; 33: Analysing emergences; 34: Athens and Jerusalem; 35: Science and religion; 36: The task ahead