Emergence in Psychology: Lessons from the History of Non-Reductionist Science

Theories of emergence have had a longstanding influence on psychological thought. Emergentism rejects both reductionism and holism; emergentists are scientific materialists, and yet argue that reductionist explanation may not always be scientifically feasible. I begin by summarizing the history of emergence in psychology and sociology, from the mid-19th century through the mid-20th century. I then demonstrate several parallels between this history and contemporary psychology, focusing on two recent psychological movements: socioculturalism and connectionist cognitive science. Placed in historical context, both socioculturalism and connectionism are seen to be revivals of 19th and early 20th century emergentism. I then draw on this history to identify several unresolved issues facing socioculturalists and connectionists, and to suggest several promising paths for future theory.