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A Key to Whitehead's Process and Reality

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Alfred North Whitehead, in his magnum opus 'Process and Reality', set forth a philosophical framework that has inspired the subsequent generation of theologians to look towards a new system of metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, and theological reality. One of the problems with 'Process and Reality', however, is that it is not a very accessible text to most people, even to most theologians. Donald Sherburne has done great service to legions of pastors, students, and interested lay persons by simplifying and reorganising the text of 'Process and Reality' into a more logical and easier-to-read text.

Sherburne's introduction speaks of the lack of information available on Whitehead - since his death in 1947, his influence has been confined to philosophy and theology, and then only at graduate-student and higher levels. This has not changed, for the most part, in the decades since the first publication of Sherburne's text, but it is beginning to make itself felt in various levels through grassroots 'evangelism' of process thought principles.

The text itself is organised to allow primary emphasis on Whitehead's own writing from 'Process and Reality', followed closely in the chapters by paragraphs of explanation and commentary by Sherburne (these are presented in an italicised typeface, making the distinction between Whitehead's words and the commentary very clear).

The rearrangement of topics follows more closely what a typical student of philosophy might expect to find in any other philosophy text. Like logic or geometry (Whitehead was a protégé of Bertrand Russell of Principia Mathematica fame), it begins with basic principles and concepts. For Whitehead, this is the actual entity and the process itself. From this, the text explores how things are what they are, and how we can come to know them.

How things are constituted involved their formative elements; for Whitehead, these consist of God, creativity, and the pure potentiality inherent in the universe. With these in mind, the process of concrescence is presented.

Sherburne then presents ideas of the macrocosmic and nexus, and the requirements and limitations on perception. This leads to a discussion of Whitehead versus other philosophers, many of whom will be far more familiar to the readers. Descartes, Hume, Locke, Kant, and the methods of science (through a lens of Newton and Plato first, then further developed) are explored.

The seventh chapter, on God and the World, is perhaps the most interesting and useful to theologians. God's primordial and consequent natures are explored. Whitehead uses the process ideas set forth earlier to look at the concept of immortality, in particular, the love of God for the world, and the process by which all of reality can be redeemed and held complete in the mind of God.

Sherburne states that the Appendix - In Defense of Speculative Philosophy - can be read first or last in the text; Sherburne actually recommends both, so that Whitehead's Defense can serve both as a setting and a conclusion to this text. Philosophy, particularly metaphysics and the more speculative sorts of philosophy, has been under critical attack over the past few generations. Whitehead's arguments for the value of philosophy, particularly when it relates to other intellectual disciplines (as opposed to merely trying to explain things away) are worth considering by the philosopher, scientist, historian, theologian, political scientist, and followers of many other disciplines.

There is a useful glossary of terms that I return to time and again. These are good definitions, succinctly stated, deriving from the text of 'Process and Reality'.

Sherburne, a professor of philosophy at Vanderbilt, is also one of the editors who produced the corrected version of Whitehead's primary text, 'Process and Reality'. This book can serve as an excellent preliminary study prior to going on to 'Process and Reality' itself, but I would advise those seriously interested in Whitehead and process thought to continue on toward that text.

This book is the place to start if you want to understand Whitehead's Process and Reality. Sherburne has done a masterful job of explaining Whitehead's many neologisms.

Process and Reality is one of the masterworks of 20th century philosophy, however its terminology make it hard to comprehend.

Sherburne's book makes Process and Reality accessible even to non-philosophers.

I tried to wade though Whitehead's Process and Reality unarmed several times and was routed by hoards of "actual entities", "eternal objects" and other beasts. Finally, fortified by Sherburne, I made it. And you can too, but don't think the going is easy even with Sherburne at your side.

He does a good job of reorganizing the text so that the concepts build in a more linear fashion, he also provides some insightful introductions to his chapters. Still, I give the book only a 4, because it's still hard to get the big picture from the onslaught of details.

This book is the place to start if you want to understand Whitehead's Process and Reality.

Sherburne has done a masterful job of explaining Whitehead's many neologisms.

Process and Reality is one of the masterworks of 20th century philosophy, however its terminology make it hard to comprehend.

Sherburne's book makes Process and Reality accessible even to non-philosophers.

...if you want to understand Whitehead but haven't attempted him yet. Sherburne does indeed provide a key to Whitehead by unlocking his concepts one by one and explaining them in plain English. Recommended.

I am proud to say I own this book. Sherburne does an excellent job laying out the arguments in a systematic fashion. He says he did this, because the reader "will not find a linear development PR, a beginning, a middle, and an end." It is this approach that keeps the spirit of Whitehead's PR alive and makes it accessible to the determined reader--I say determined because it still is difficult trying to interpret the content of Whitehead's "Speculative Philosophy."

Of course for being only 261 pages this book isn't an "exhaustive account of all aspects of Whitehead's thought." A key can unlock a door, but you still have to go through the door to see what is on the other side. I would encourage anyone to take Sherburnes key to unlock the door to Process and Reality...

Exceptionally clear editing (piecing together and reorganizing) of the original Whitehead text. Sherburne has pieced together many excerpts from different parts of the Whtiehead text in a very seamless way (indicating in the appendix where all the pieces come from in the original text) to create a new and clearer work of Whitehead's metaphysics. Together with a glossary (indispensible) and Sherburne's own running commentary in the main body of the text (in italics) this "Key" is essential to understanding Whitehead's philosophy as expressed in "Process and Reality". There are also very clear diagrams added by Sherburne not appearing in the original text which are also essential. If you want an introduction to this philosophy you really don't need the original text of Whitehead at all; this Key is sufficient at least for a start. Leclerc's work on Whitehead's metaphysics would be another aid to understanding as well. After reading and studying this "Key" I came away thinking "so that's what Whitehead was saying and what he meant, so why couldn't he say it" and yet he does say it, since Sherburne has only re-edited Whitehead's own words and rearrangeed the pieces to make greater sense of the whole. Fine synthetic job and essential in understanding Whitehead's anti-materialistic metaphysics of "Becoming and Flux".

The editor of this excerpted and commented edition of Whitehead's Process and Reality observes that the philosophy is "extremely difficult" and its "opacity is monumental." This is an understatement. Indeed, the prose and concepts are so sophisticated that had I not already become well-versed in the parallel philosophy of Hua-Yen Buddhism, had a career in ecosystem research, and from extensive scientific knowledge apprended categorical feedback loops and self-organization among all the orders of nature, this book would have required long hours of hard labor or would have been tossed as incomprehensible. Instead, I was easily able to follow the arguments and nod in agreement, for Whitehead coming from a Western philosophical tradition beginning with Spinoza and familiar with then new quantum concepts and prescient speculative physics was able to reach the same conclusions of Chinese philosophers centuries earlier. Process metaphysics and its holistic and gestaltic aspects has potential explanatory power in the brave new world of 11-dimensional string theory, informational field concepts, and even parapsychology. Mutual dependence and mutual arisings clarify William Blake's mysticism. Creativity is seen as the divine engine of the universe working at every level; Whitehead makes God a universal set of action, akin to the Logos of religious systems. If you desire to study Process and Reality in Whitehead's own words, then this book is useful, for Sherburne has tamed the beast and the glossary is most helpful. Nonetheless, unless you are already a learned philosophical scholar familiar with such presentations, I strongly recommend preliminary readings in related areas. Certainly, books on Hua-Yen apply more accessible metaphors and books on biological systems theory can present tangible relationships.

Mr. Sherburne has done an excellent job in rearranging the material of Process & Reality. It is a very readable overview and summary of Whitehead's book. Donald's intro's with each chapter provide a good guideline for the novice to Whitehead.