A Post-Batesonian Proposal. Emergence and the Logical Levels of Learning

The absence of an explicit theory of emergence in Gregory Bateson’s work suggests the possibility of reinterpreting his theory of the logical levels of learning within an emergentist framework. This paper investigates whether Bateson’s theory of learning as a hierarchy of logical types can be coherently understood as a multilevel emergent process. Drawing on a scoping review, the study highlights the absence of explicit engagement with this issue in the literature and develops a post-Batesonian proposal grounded in a rigorous distinction between epistemic and ontological emergence. The progression from systemic intelligence to systemic thinking and complex thinking is interpreted as a sequence of epistemic emergences, corresponding to representational configurations. In parallel, relational sensitivity, configurational capacity and systemic reflexivity are analyzed as ontological emergent properties of the cognitive system. The paper argues that these two dimensions are intertwined, allowing for a unified interpretation of learning as a multilevel emergent dynamic. This perspective contributes to Batesonian studies and to contemporary debates in the philosophy of education and complexity theory.