Whitehead: Process and Cosmology

Abstract

Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) occupies a remarkable position in twentieth century philosophy. Though he co-authored the seminal Principia mathematica with his former student Bertrand Russell, and later supervised W. V. Quine, his influence on later analytic philosophy has been minimal, while in other circles his work enjoyed cult status. Largely ignored by professionals in his native Britain, he is respected in his adopted America, and receives interest in continental Europe. Trained as a mathematician, he moved into logic and the foundations of mathematics. In his fifties he began writing about the philosophy of science, physics, and education, and at 63 emigrated to the United States, teaching as Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University for a further thirteen years. His chief work, Process and Reality: An Essay in Cosmology (1929) has been compared, for length, difficulty, and importance, to Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. This work—we will refer to it as ‘PR’—completed Whitehead’s transformation into a metaphysician, and it is the focus of our attention.