The Rehabilitation of Whitehead: An Analytic and Historical Assessment of Process Philosophy"Lucas' book competently brings Whitehead's philosophy into dialogue with "analytic" philosophy. This is a topic of great originality and considerable potential importance for the field of philosophy. The writing is forceful, concise, and clear." -- George L. Kline, Bryn Mawr College Lucas treats Whitehead within the framework of major themes in current Anglo-American "analytic" philosophy, viewed against the backdrop of significant historical trends in European and American thought since the Enlightenment. This most misunderstood of twentieth-century philosophers is critically interpreted here. Whitehead had developed 50 years ago some ideas only now emerging in analytic philosophy. Lucas examines the significance of Whitehead's thought for current epistemology of science, for the anti-foundationalism debate, and more generally, for modal logic, action, theory, philosophical psychology, and the philosophy of mind. He shows how some recent analytic philosophy is now developing ideas concerning language, personal identity, and other topics that are found in Whitehead. Lucas concludes with recent problems in relativity theory and quantum mechanics, indicating how these bear on the philosophy of science and on the task of forging a comprehensive understanding of nature. He examines the debates concerning Einstein and Whitehead on relativity and analyzes the work of Bohm, Prigogine, and others who have found Whitehead's categories useful for their own success. Whitehead is shown to be a historical figure of great importance, not an idiosyncratic thinker, isolated along with a few enthusiastic followers from the mainstream of contemporary philosophy. With Russell, Whitehead participated in the same philosophical world that gave rise to analytic philosophy. |
Contents
The Relevance of Whitehead | 5 |
Evolution and the Emergence of Process Metaphysics | 15 |
Realism Idealism and the Development | 36 |
The Significance of Whiteheads Philosophy | 44 |
Whitehead and Evolutionary Cosmologies | 51 |
Whiteheads Understanding of Kant | 73 |
Whitehead Hegel and the Philosophy of Nature | 93 |
Other editions - View all
The Rehabilitation of Whitehead: An Analytic and Historical Assessment of ... George R. Lucas Jr. No preview available - 1989 |
The Rehabilitation of Whitehead: An Analytic and Historical Assessment of ... George R. Lucas No preview available - 1989 |
Common terms and phrases
actual entity Alfred North Whitehead analysis analytic analytic philosophy appearance argues Bell's theorem Bergson Bertrand Russell Bohm causal efficacy chapter Charles Hartshorne claim concept concrescence constitute contemporary contrast creative critical Critique cultural Darwin Dewey discussion distinct doctrine earlier emergent emergent evolution empiricism ence epistemological eternal objects evolution evolutionary cosmology evolutionist theories example F. H. Bradley Hartshorne head's Hegel historical Hume idealism idealistic immediacy influence interpretation Kant Kant's Kantian Kline later Lectures logical mechanism mode Modern World Newtonian Nobo notion observed ontological organic past perception perspective philosophy of nature physical Pols present principle Process and Reality process metaphysics process philosophy Process Studies Process Thought radical realist recent relativity theory Richard Rorty Rorty Russell Russell's Science scientific seems sense Sherburne significant speculative subjective aim subsequent suggests systematic teleological temporal tion tradition University Press Whitehead's Metaphysics Whitehead's theory Whitehead's thought Whiteheadian York