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A compositional containment hierarchy is an ordering of the parts that make up a system—the system is "composed" of these parts. Most engineered structures, whether natural or artificial, can be broken down in this manner.

A compositional containment hierarchy is an ordering of the parts that make up a system—the system is "composed" of these parts. Most engineered structures, whether natural or artificial, can be broken down in this manner.

The compositional hierarchy that every person encounters at every moment is the hierarchy of life. Every person can be reduced to organ systems, which are composed of organs, which are composed of tissues, which are composed of cells, which are composed of molecules, which are composed of atoms. In fact, the last two levels apply to all matter, at least at the macroscopic scale. Moreover, each of these levels inherit all the properties of their children.

The compositional hierarchy that every person encounters at every moment is the hierarchy of life. Every person can be reduced to organ systems, which are composed of organs, which are composed of tissues, which are composed of cells, which are composed of molecules, which are composed of atoms. In fact, the last two levels apply to all matter, at least at the macroscopic scale. Moreover, each of these levels inherit all the properties of their children.

In this particular example, there are also emergent properties—functions that are not seen at the lower level (e.g., cognition is not a property of neurons but is of the brain)—and a scalar quality (molecules are bigger than atoms, cells are bigger than molecules, etc.). Both of these concepts commonly exist in compositional hierarchies, but they are not a required general property. These level hierarchies are characterized by bi-directional causation. Upward causation involves lower-level entities causing some property of a higher level entity; children entities may interact to yield parent entities, and parents are composed at least partly by their children. Downward causation refers to the effect that the incorporation of entity x into a higher-level entity can have on xs properties and interactions. Furthermore, the entities found at each level are autonomous.

In this particular example, there are also emergent properties—functions that are not seen at the lower level (e.g., cognition is not a property of neurons but is of the brain)—and a scalar quality (molecules are bigger than atoms, cells are bigger than molecules, etc.). Both of these concepts commonly exist in compositional hierarchies, but they are not a required general property. These level hierarchies are characterized by bi-directional causation. Upward causation involves lower-level entities causing some property of a higher level entity; children entities may interact to yield parent entities, and parents are composed at least partly by their children. Downward causation refers to the effect that the incorporation of entity x into a higher-level entity can have on xs properties and interactions. Furthermore, the entities found at each level are autonomous.

在这个特定的例子中，还有一些突发特性ーー在较低层次上看不到的功能(例如，认知不是神经元的特性，而是大脑的特性)ーー以及标量特性(分子比原子大，细胞比分子大，等等)。这两个概念通常都存在于组合层次结构中，但它们不是必需的一般属性。这些层次结构是拥有属性的双向因果关系。向上因果关系涉及较低层次的实体引起较高层次实体的某些属性; 儿童实体可能相互作用以产生父实体，父母至少部分由他们的子女组成。向下因果关系是指将实体 x 并入更高级别的实体可能对 x 的属性和交互产生的影响。此外，每个级别上的实体都是自治的。

在这个特定的例子中，还有一些涌现特性——在较低层次上看不到的功能（例如认知不是神经元的特性，而是大脑的特性）——以及标度特性（分子比原子大，细胞比分子大等等）。这两个概念通常都存在于组合层次结构中，但它们不是必要的一般属性。这些层次结构是拥有属性的双向因果关系。涉及较低层次实体的向上因果关系导致较高层次实体的某些属性；子实体可以相互作用产生父实体，并且父实体至少部分由他们的子实体组成。向下因果关系是指将实体 x 并入更高级别的实体可能对 x 的属性和相互作用产生的影响。此外，每个级别上的实体都是自治的。

 

 

==Contexts and applications==<!--if you change this section's title, please also change the wikilinks throughout the article that link to it! -->

==Contexts and applications==<!--if you change this section's title, please also change the wikilinks throughout the article that link to it! -->