Alfred North Whitehead Philosophy
British Philosopher and Mathematician, Known for Process and Reality
Jul 5, 2009
British philosopher and mathematician famous for his philosophy of organism, and co-authored the influential Principia Mathematica with Bertrand Russell. Whitehead combined his interests in mathematics and aesthetics into metaphysical system of scientific cosmology in his work Process and Reality.
Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) was an English mathematician who became a philosopher. He wrote on algebra, logic, foundations of mathematics, physics, metaphysics, philosophy of science and education.
Whitehead's Philosophy of Organism
His idea involved the integration of science as part of the social sciences. To understand Whitehead's philosophy, one must start with his critique of materialism. He rejects materialism in favour of a philosophy centred on the "concepts of life, organism, function, instantaneous reality, interaction, order of nature."
On the other hand, materialists criticize his notions as non-factual and subjective, that the main problem with his scheme is that it leaves no room for notions of value, purpose and meaning within scientific explanation.
Whitehead finds the materialists' view as hypocritical and inconsistent. He argues that in rejecting values the way he sees it, they are upholding a particular value system. Moreover, according to him, the history of science cannot be separated from the cultural, social and political environment in which it is pursued.
Whitehead's Organism as Opposed to Materialism
He suggests that in place of materialism, the concept of 'organism' rather than 'substance,' and 'event' in place of the parameters of space and time, should be the one to take action.
Central to his idea is a reinterpretation of how 'nature' is understood. Materialism has always conceived nature as that which lies behind sense experience, and which is causally responsible for sense-perception. He argues that science should address itself to the relations between events that are perceived and let go dated claim of investigating underlying abstract matters.
Legacy of Alfred North Whitehead
Alfred North Whitehead may have been a philosopher before his time. His philosophy of organism, while not widely accepted, forms one of the first and most systematic attempts of 20th century philosophy to break away from the traditional problems of contemporary philosophy. It also serves as a source of stimulating ideas for upcoming number of younger philosophers.
Works by Alfred North Whitehead
- Principia Mathematica (3 volumes: 1910, 1912, 1913), co-authored with Bertrand Russell.
- Process and Reality, 1929
- Adventures of Ideas, 1933
- Modes of Thought, 1938
Sources:
- Clark, John, Ed. Illustrated Biographical Dictionary. London:Chancellor Press, 1994.
- McGovern, Una, Ed. Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers, 2002.
- Stokes, Philip. Philosophy, the Great Thinkers. London: Capella, 2007.
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