A meta-theory of hierarchical synthesis as a fractal paradigm of cooperation: the recursive transit of complexity through transitional meta-levels

This interdisciplinary study constructs a bridge between the philosophy of science, theoretical biology, complex systems theory, and cosmology. It proposes a meta-theory of hierarchical synthesis as a fractal paradigm of cooperation within the structures of the material world. Complexity in the universe emerges through recursive acts of cooperation among autonomous elements, forming temporary wholes with emergent properties, which in turn become elements for the next cycle of cooperation. The article describes a fundamental pattern of the emergence of complexity via the cooperation of autonomous elements, resulting in temporary functional wholes possessing emergent properties. The meta-theory of hierarchical synthesis inherits and develops ideas from Bertalanffy's systems theory, Haken's synergetics, and Prigogine's theory of dissipative structures. The emergence of complexity in the material world represents a universal ontological principle manifesting across all levels of material organization—from molecular interactions and cellular processes to social structures and cosmological systems. The idea of hierarchical synthesis offers a new conceptual language for describing the dynamic hierarchy of complex systems and overcoming the traditional divide between the natural sciences and humanities.