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1Center for Data Science and Complexity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Frontiers in Network Physiology
|July 13, 2026
Summary
Network physiology explains organism-wide states using self-organization principles from Synergetics. This approach highlights downward causation, a concept crucial for understanding complex systems but philosophically debated.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Complex Systems Science
- Philosophy of Science
Background:
- Network physiology studies emergent physiological states from component interactions.
- Synergetics provides concepts like order parameters and circular causality for self-organization.
- Downward causation is a key concept in complex systems and emergence debates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the link between network physiology and Synergetics.
- To examine the role of downward causation in self-organization phenomena.
- To discuss the philosophical implications of downward causation in scientific research.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis integrating network physiology and Synergetics.
- Review of literature on self-organization and downward causation.
- Philosophical examination of reductionism, emergence, and ontological causation.
Main Results:
- Network physiology aligns with Synergetics' principles of order parameters and enslavement.
- Downward causation offers a powerful explanatory framework for self-organized physiological states.
- The ontological status of downward causation remains a subject of philosophical contention.
Conclusions:
- Network physiology and Synergetics offer a unified framework for understanding complex biological systems.
- Downward causation is a vital, albeit debated, concept for explaining emergent properties in physiology.
- Further interdisciplinary dialogue is needed to clarify the role and nature of downward causation.
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