Science and Philosophy
Alfred North Whitehead’s Science and Philosophy synthesizes his process metaphysics with critiques of scientific reductionism, arguing that creative synthesis—the dynamic interweaving of actual entities through prehensive relations—undergirds both quantum phenomena and human experience. He dismantles the fallacy of misplaced concreteness, exposing how scientific abstractions (e.g., "particles") obscure the eventful continuum of nature, while advocating organic mechanism—a holistic framework where causal efficacy (contextual relations) and presentational immediacy (sensory data) cohere via symbolic reference. Essays on education critique inert ideas, urging rhythmic pedagogy that cycles between imaginative romance and analytic precision. Whitehead’s theory of cosmic epochs—distinct metaphysical eras governed by unique categorical obligations—frames scientific laws as contingent, not eternal. Though fragmented compared to Process and Reality, this collection shaped process philosophy’s interdisciplinary reach, influenced environmental ethics (e.g., Leopold’s land ethic), and remains vital for reconciling scientific rigor with humanistic depth in debates on AI, ecology, and consciousness studies.
