The emergence in two metaphysical paradigms: substantialist monism and processual monism

Abstract

This project intends to present and justify our research proposal for the application for the research internship abroad scholarship (BEPE). It aims to develop a master's research for six months at the University of Lisbon, under the guidance of Professor Dr. Gil Santos. Our research aims to investigate and compare recent theories of emergence based on distinct ontological models that propose themselves as answers to the problem of higher-level causation raised by Jaegwon Kim. On the one hand, both the weak emergence and strong emergence proposed by J.Wilson will be introduced and analyzed in her work Metaphysical Emergence (2021). On the other hand, the recent emergence theory of G. Santos called relational transformational systemic emergence (RTE) will be introduced and analyzed. While Wilson's two proposals presuppose the traditional ontological monistic model of material substances, Santos' RTE presupposes a relational monistic ontological model, still orthodox in the relevant literature on emergence.Because they are based on distinct ontological models, both the theories of Wilson and Santosoffer different formulations of the notion of emergence and, consequently, offer differentsolutions to the problem of higher-order causation e.i., in short, that high-level causationconflicts with the causal closure of the physical domain. Our research aims to analyze andcompare the three theories with regard to their respective strategies adopted to respond to, orcircumvent the problem of higher-level causation while maintaining the commitment tonaturalism (monism). The results of this research will be important for future discussion onwhich ontological model the emergence debate should be based.