 As we talked about in a previous video, emergence results in the development of integrative levels where systems come to have different levels of organization with different rules governing the internal workings to those different levels. The result of this is that we get a complex dynamic between the different levels where they both have different rules governing their behavior whilst also at the same time having to coordinate their activity in forming part of some overall system. This dynamic becomes most pronounced when we look at the overall interaction between the macro and micro levels in the system, as the two levels are governed by completely different sets of rules whilst also needing to interoperate. It is this dynamic between these two primary levels that we call the micro-macro dynamic and is a central part to understanding the structure and functioning of systems of all kind. The micro-macro dynamic describes a complex interaction between the micro and macro levels to a system. In every system there will be a degree of interdependence between the elements. This is by the standard definition of a system being a set of interdependent parts. This creates a dynamic where individual elements that form autonomous components on one level are also part of some kind of a whole on another level due to these interdependencies. The lower level composed of the elementary parts is called the micro level and the higher level of the whole system is called the macro level. The micro-macro dynamic then describes how these two levels interact and coexist. For example within an economy there is a micro level consisting of the individual agents and business organizations and a macro level of the whole economy within which they are interdependent. The actors may compete on the micro level creating one dynamic the market system but for all to achieve optimal outcomes they also have to cooperate on the macro level typically through government services and regulation. This creates two different levels with two different sets of rules. Those are the market and those are the public institutions but both the market and the public levels have to interact and coexist. This is a classical example of a micro-macro dynamic. Likewise in physics we see two fundamentally different sets of rules emerging as we put micro level component parts of matter together to create macroscopic composite entities. On the micro level the laws of quantum mechanics govern the behavior of elementary particles and allow for such things as superposition, entanglement and wave particle duality but as soon as we go above the molecular level these rules become replaced by the new set of rules of classical mechanics and relativity but somehow these different sets of rules have to coexist within the same physical systems. With multidimensional nature to systems the results in the micro-macro dynamic is a product of synthesis and emergence. In many instances when we put elements together they do not simply remain discreet separate entities but they interact, co-evolve as they differentiate their states and functions with respect to each other in becoming interdependent holes that comes to have properties and features that none of the parts possess. A whole new level of organization emerges that is different from the parts. This is made most manifest in ecosystems as they have co-evolved over thousands of years. The parts are intricately interdependent forming a whole system that has features and dynamics independent from any of its parts and thus a two-tier system and are resulting emergent micro-macro dynamic. The whole ecosystem goes through processes of change what we call ecological succession that are not associated with any of the parts but these macro-level ecological regimes condition what creatures can viably exist within that macro regime. When looking at a system that exhibits any degree of complexity we can identify two fundamentally different dynamics driving its behavior. Firstly it's not possible for something to exist in the world without it having in some way a physical extension. It is necessary to have physical parts to enable the whole. These physical parts are how the system does what it does without them it will be incapable of acting or affecting its environment. Thus the lower levels of the hierarchy are subject to physical constraints. The limits of physical possibility come from the lower levels in the hierarchy but equally the system is conditioned by the whole. All systems exist in some environments and that environment typically acts on the system as a whole not as a set of parts. The environment places constraints on the whole which are then exerted downward to the parts. For example a wheel if placed on an incline will roll down the slope. The influence here is coming from the environment that is making the system as a whole roll down the slope which is then conditioning the state and position of the individual molecular parts of the entire object. The lower levels in this dynamic answer the question how they are the building blocks that make the system physically possible and without which the system could not exist. Although there will be many possibilities only a limited number of these possibilities will be relevant to the context within which the macro system exists. For example physically there are trillions of possible permutations of biological systems but only those that fit with their environment will persist over time. As the ultimate reason why we have some permutations and not others is because of the context within which they exist that is to say the macro level it is the upper macro level that answers the question why. Timothy Allen professor of botany at University of Wisconsin Madison illustrates this when he says quote mammals have five digits there is no physical reason for mammals having five digits on their hands and feet because it comes not from physical limits but from the constraints of having a mammal heritage any number of digits is possible within the physical limits but in mammals only five digits are allowed as the biological constraints. Limits come from above while the limits as to what is possible comes from below. The concept of hierarchy becomes confused unless one makes the distinction between limits from below and limits from above the distinction between mechanisms below and purposes above turns on the issue of constraint versus possibility forget the distinction and biology becomes pointlessly confused in possibly complicated chemistry whilst chemistry becomes unwieldily physics. Each level in the hierarchy operates under different rules is driven by different objectives or shaped by different factors. The macro level is responsible for maintaining balance stability and functionality within the whole system and is responsible for the system interacting with its environment. All of these factors place certain conditions on the operation of the macro level. The macro level system if teleological has to understand the environment the possibilities within that environment select the most appropriate one and then organize the parts towards that direction in so doing it defines the question of why that is to say the higher meaning of why the parts are doing what they're doing. An example of this would be socialist political regimes that are holistic in their ideals purportedly giving precedence to the whole of society over any of its constituent subsystems or members. Socialist ideologies are designed to give coherence and integrity to the whole system. The emphasis is on equality between member parts and their contribution towards the whole organization. Personal identity agendas and motives are expected to be subsumed to the whole organization. In forming part of the whole members find their identity. It is the macro level set of rules that give context and meaning to their lives and the preservation of the organization's overall integrity is seen as paramount. This is a defining factor to the macro level of organization a set of rules that are in place to preserve the integrity of the entire organization. In the same way that the brain regulates the whole body towards the functioning of the entire system. The micro level to a system is constituted by and driven by discrete component parts. Unlike the macro level elements can be quantified as discrete and autonomous components. This capacity to define discrete and autonomous parts is a defining feature of the rules governing the micro level in that it enables us to ascribe objective properties and attributes to these specific parts. Whereas the macro level becomes defined by the integrity of the network between the parts and the integrity of whole processes. The micro level is defined more by the static properties of discrete entities and the metric systems created by the difference between them. Within social systems for example the micro level is governed by the individual agents and their local agendas. Free market economies are good examples of systems that are predominantly based on micro level rules. The dynamics of the system are at least theoretically driven by the actions and motives of the individual agents without reference to the macro level. The system is seen to be nothing more than the micro level components and interactions governed by supply and demand constraints. Here we can note that the external environment is not considered. Free market economic models see the natural environment as simply a commodity source within the economy. These models do not recognize the economy as forming part of some larger environment social or natural. With that larger environment placing any macro level constraints on the system. Free market economies are focused on discrete tangible products and agents acting as individuals with limited macro level constraints. The ideas of liberalism would be another example of a micro level component based sociopolitical paradigm as individual liberty, freedom of expression, diversity of opinion etc are given precedence over macro level sociopolitical integration. Liberalism leads to the decoupling of sociopolitical institutions from the overarching macro level integrative structures of religious institutions. With the rise of liberalism in the 17th and 18th century, traditional institutions that were designed to maintain overall sociocultural coherence have been largely replaced by a new set of institutions driven by individual choice and freedom for people to follow their own independent agendas. This is a regime defined and driven by the component parts, a component based regime that defines the micro level organization. Now that we understand some of the core differences between these levels we can appreciate the central question within the micro-macro dynamic that of interoperability between the two different levels. Two distinctly different levels emerge with different rules governing each but they then need to be reconciled in some way to create an overall functioning system if it is to be viable within its environment. Social, chemical, biological, economic, social and cultural systems all exhibit this micro-macro dynamic and how the system comes to reconcile it forms a primary determinant in its identity and overall structure. When the system fails to coordinate its parts into a functioning whole then it will become dominated by the interaction of its parts on the micro level. One example of this might be the warring states period in Chinese history when the region of the Zhou dynasty was divided between eight states. During this period there was no overall organization but the state of Chinese civilization was defined by these component parts and their interaction. Inversely the system may resolve this dynamic by forming a macro level structure that constrains the micro level and thus again reduces the system to one level removing the complex interaction between the two levels. Continuing with this example of Chinese civilization the communist political system of the past 60 years or so has been a form of social system where the macro level regime has dominated over the micro level. Both of these dynamics creates a single basin of attraction but more complex evolutionary systems exist in an interaction between the two regimes. Systems that evolve successfully and gender a continuous more complex dynamic between the micro and macro levels with the micro level generating new possibilities and the macro level creating the conditions that select from this variety as the system develops over time through an evolutionary process. Natural selection is a classical example of this but equally a functioning democracy will be another example. We'll pick up on this theme of evolution again in a later video when we talk about the edge of chaos hypothesis.