There seem to be two theories as to the nature of the marks which emerge and distinguish levels of integration. One theory states that these are qualities like sensory qualities, metaphysical simples. Alexander's system contains a theory of emergent qualities. Now, a theory of emergent qualities is palpably a theory of epiphenomena. Accurately speaking, we must first observe, laws can not emerge.
Emergence is supposed to be a cosmic affair and laws are descriptions.
What emerge are not laws, but what the laws describe. This distinction is important, for I maintain that the same natural regularities can be described by a whole hierarchy of different laws and that this ladder of laws has been mistaken by the emergent evolutionists for a ladder of cosmic regularities. But I do not care to develop this matter here. What I wish to show is that all natural regularities are shifts and can not be otherwise described. Let us suppose a shift at level B is described as a function of four variables q, r, s, and t .