Supervention: meaning, definitions and examples

Etymology

• Derived from Latin roots: 'super-' meaning 'above' and 'venire' meaning 'to come', literally translating to 'to come above'.
• The term has been in use since at least the late 19th century, indicating its long-standing relevance in various fields.
• Related terms include 'intervention', which also implies a change but often has a more targeted aspect.

Philosophy

• In philosophical discussions, supervention is often related to how higher-level properties depend on lower-level facts.
• This concept is crucial in debates surrounding mental states and their relationship with physical states in dualism versus physicalism.
• Philosophers like David Lewis have discussed supervention in the context of modality and its implications for the nature of existence.

Science

• In biology, supervention can describe how certain traits may manifest suddenly due to genetic changes or environmental triggers.
• In environmental studies, a supervention event might refer to how an ecological system responds suddenly to a climatic shift.
• The term is also used in medicine, particularly in understanding how symptoms might appear as a result of an underlying condition.

Sociology

• Sociologists might use supervention to describe sudden social changes, like shifts in public opinion after major events.
• This can include movements or revolutions where existing social structures are rapidly altered by an event.
• The concept helps in analyzing how societies adapt to unforeseen challenges, like technological advancements.

Literature

• In literature, supervention often serves as a plot device where a sudden event changes the course of a story.
• Authors like Shakespeare have employed unexpected twists that exemplify the element of supervention, altering character fates.
• Poetry can also use supervention as a theme, with sudden emotional shifts reflecting human experience.