科学与近代世界

AlfredNorthWhitehead:ScienceandtheModernWorld张璐2017/6/2AlfredNorthWhitehead(1861-1946):BritishmathematicianandphilosopherNotablebooks:PrincipiaMathematica;ProcessandReality;ScienceandtheModernWorld;Symbolism,ItsMeaningandEffect…Thedefiningfigureofprocessphilosophy:1.Theworldisanexpressionofprocessandisinthechange,consistingofthefluxofeverythingintheworld.2.Eachthingintheworldisanentity,isasubject,hasitsownvalue,itsownemotionandspirit,deservingourprotection.3.Allthefinefruitsofhumancivilizationshouldbeinherited.4.Allformsofdevelopmenthaveitsownpre-requisitesinthepastandconsequencesinthefuture.BriefIntroductionContentWhitehead’sconceptionofrealityEducationandredefiningrationalismToday’srationalism,irrationalism,andanti-rationalismHowtoaddressit?Whiteheadwasconvincedthatthescientificnotionofmatterwasmisleadingasawayofdescribingtheultimatenatureofthings.Inhis1925book ScienceandtheModernWorld,hewrotethat “Initselfsuchamaterialissenseless,valueless,purposeless.Itjustdoeswhatitdoesdo,followingafixedroutineimposedbyexternalrelationswhichdonotspringfromthenatureofitsbeing…itisanassumptionwhichIshallchallengeasbeingentirelyunsuitedtothescientificsituationatwhichwehavenowarrived.”Twoproblemsailtheoriginalconceptionofmaterial.First,itobscuresandminimizestheimportanceofchange,andbelievesthatchangesofamaterialaresecondarytoitsnature.Inhisview,theclassicalconceptssuchas"quality","matter",and"form"areonlythemostimportantorsalientfeatures,sincetheyfailtoadequatelyaccountforchange,andoverlooktheactiveandexperientialnatureofthemostbasicelementsoftheworld.Theyareusefulabstractions,butarenottheworld'sbasicbuildingblocks.Hearguesthatchangeisfundamentalandinescapable,andthat"allthingsflow."Theonlyfundamentallyexistentthingsarediscrete"occasionsofexperience"thatoverlaponeanotherintimeandspace,andjointlymakeuptheenduringpersonorthing.Whatisordinarilyconceivedofasasingleperson,forinstance,isphilosophicallydescribedasacontinuumofoverlappingevents.Identitiesdonotdefinepeople,peopledefineidentities.Byassumingthatenduringobjectsarethemostrealandfundamentalthingsintheuniverse,materialistshavemistakentheabstractfortheconcrete(whatWhiteheadcallsthe"fallacyofmisplacedconcreteness").Asecondproblemwithmaterialismisthatitobscurestheimportanceof relations.Itseeseveryobjectasdistinctanddiscretefromallotherobjects.ButWhiteheaddescribesanyentityasinsomesensenothingmoreandnothinglessthanthesumofitsrelationstootherentities–its synthesisof and reactionto theworldaroundit.Relationstakeaprimaryrole,perhapsevenmoreimportantthantherelatathemselves. Thatistosay,relationsarenotsecondarytowhatathingis,they are whatthethingis.ForWhitehead,creativity istheabsoluteprincipleofexistence,andeveryentity(whetheritisahumanbeing,atree,oranelectron)hassomedegreeofnoveltyinhowitrespondstootherentities.Thefundamentalcreativity/freedomofallentitiesmeansthattherewillalwaysremainphenomenathatareunpredictable.Theothersideofcreativity/freedomisthateveryentityisconstrainedbythesocialstructureofexistence(i.e.,itsrelations)–eachactualentitymustconformtothesettledconditionsoftheworldaroundit.Freedomalwaysexistswithinlimits.Anentity'suniquenessandindividualityarisefromitsownself-determinationastojusthowitwilltakeaccountoftheworldwithinthelimitsthathavebeensetforit.Insummary,Whiteheadfavoredtheideaofrealityasinterrelatedeventsinprocess,andthoughtthatthechangeless"essences"aremereabstractionsfromtheinterrelatedevents.Thecreativityofentitymeansunpredictabilityconstrainedbyitsrelationswithotherentities.Tofindtruth,weneedreturnbacktoreality.Thetraditionalrationalismstickstotheabsoluteviewontruth:Peoplecouldrecognizetheexternalworldthroughtheirreason.Knowledgeisundoubtedlyofcertainty.Ofcourse,thesetwopointsmakesense.Traditionalrationalistsoftenabsolutizedsuchacertainty:Truthisexternal.Theprocesstorecognizetruthisfreefromthelimitsofanyobjectiveorsubjectiveconditions.Theywishtoestablishamathematicknowledgesystem,arigorousknowledgesystemdeducedfromseveralself-evidenttruth,andwhat’sworsetomakeallknowledgetoconformtosuchasystem.Reflects:Theeagernessofknowingworld,advancingscienceandthuspromotingproductionexpressedbyemergingcapitalists.Usingtheidealandphantasmicrelationstopretendtobetherealisticbutunknownrelations,useimaginationorthepureconjecturetosupplementtheabsentreality.Thoughtheyputforwardsomegiftedthoughtsandpredictedtosomedegreepartoffuturefindings,theytrulygaveoutsomeabsurdopinions.InWhitehead’sview:Scientistsatthattime:Tocriticizesomepeople’soverlookingonthelawsofnaturethatareempiricallyobservedandknowntobeuniversalontheonehand;Toadvocatetheabstracttermsandabstractthinkingontheother.Neglectingthewaytoknowworldthroughself-experienceandprobingintoreality.Hence,theabstractionwasmisdeemedasreality,whilethetruerealitywasignored.Thepre-requisitesfortheviewonvalueoftraditionalrationalism:Toassuretheuniversalityofhumanity;Toregardindividual’spursuitoffreedom,rightandhappinessasthenatureofhuman.CenteredonindividualAmixture:Individual’spursuitoffreedom,rightandhappiness;Socialfairness,equalityandharmony.Theeffectivewaytoensuresuchindividualpursuitsisthroughestablishingasocialnorm.Tomakethemostuseofindividual’sopportunitieswithoutconsideringother’sinterests:Inthefieldofpolitics——arbitrarypolicymaking,andwar;Inthefieldofindustry——theoppressofworkersandirrespectofenvironmentintheprocessofurbanization.Thetwoproblemswiththeviewonhistoryoftraditionalrationalism:1.Theprogressislinear.2.Thatscientificprogresswillpromotethesocialprogress.Thetwoextremes:1.Alltraditionalviews,allsocialformsoftheancienttime,wouldbethrowndownabsolutelywheninrevolution.2.Bydevelopingscience,humancanbetterremakethenatureandsocietyInWhitehead’sview:1.Thefinefruitsofthepastundoubtedlydeserveourinheritanceandprotection2.ItstillneedsconsiderationwhethersciencecanoffersuchabigeffectAgreatfactconfrontingthemodernworld——professionalisminknowledge:1.Thefixedpersonforthefixedduties,whoinoldersocietieswassuchagodsend,willbeapublicdangerinthefuture2.Thougheffectiveknowledgeisprofessionalizedknowledge,progressindifferentfieldslackedofcoordination.Modernsciencecallsforthedirectivepowerofcoordination.Professionalisminknowledgegeneratestheprofessionalismineducation:Toneglecttostrengthenhabitsofconcreteappreciationoftheindividualfactsintheirfullinterplayofemergentvalues;Tomerelyemphasizetheabstractformulationswhichignorethisaspectoftheinterplayofdiversevalues.Hisownillustrationofeducation:topolishtheabilityofperceivingrealitythroughthecombinationoftheintellectualanalysisandintuition,therespecttoobjectivevaluesandcreativeinitiative,thebalancebetweenthegeneralandspecialisteducation.First,theclassicalconceptslike"quality","matter",and"form"areusefulabstractions,butarenottheworld'sbasicbuildingblocks.Second,realityconsistsof processesratherthanmaterialobjects,andthatprocessesarebestdefinedbytheirrelationswithotherprocesses.Toobserverealitymeanstoobservethechangingprocessthroughintuitionwithoutanyanalyticaldivorcefromthetotalenvironment.Third,creativity istheabsoluteprincipleofexistence,butfreedomalwaysexistswithinlimits.Creativityshouldbefostered,andtheobjectivevalueshouldbeobeyed.Hence,whatWhiteheadadvocatesistoformthehabitofapprehendingrealityandtheorganisminitscompletenessthoughintellectualanalysisandintuition,therespecttoobjectivevaluesandcreativeinitiative.Tofurtherdeduce,thetruescienceisthecombinationofrationalismandanti-rationalism.“Theearlierreactiontowardsnaturalismandthehistoricalrevoltofthe17thcentury,wereexamplesoftranscendingtheabstractionswhichfascinatedtheeducatedsocietyintheMiddleAges.Theseearlyageshadanidealofrationalism,buttheyfailedinitspursuit.Fortheyneglectedtonotethatthemethodologyofreasoningrequiresthelimitationsinvolvedintheabstract.Accordingly,thetruerationalismmustalwaystranscenditselfbyrecurrencetotheconcreteinsearchofinspiration.Aself-satisfiedrationalismisineffectaformofanti-rationalism.”传统理性主义:文艺复兴时期到19世纪中叶，近代哲学。核心概念:肯定认识的确定性，价值的普遍性和历史的进步性。非理性主义:十九世纪中叶到二十世纪六七十年代,现代哲学。核心概念:认识论：强调用直觉、本能、体验等认识世界；纯粹真理和绝对知识是不存在的。价值观：由普遍个人主义走向极端个人主义，要求对个性进行极度的张扬。历史观：由对历史的乐观主义走向非乐观主义。人类没有进步，甚至从来没有存在过。反理性主义：二十世纪六七十年代以来，后现代主义哲学。核心概念:认识论：根本否定存在任何的 表 关于同志近三年现实表现材料材料类招标技术评分表图表与交易pdf视力表打印pdf用图表说话 pdf 意活动，一切只是语言游戏。一切都是在差异、流变之中。价值观：根本否定任何价值的存在，取消主体的地位和作用。历史观：反对历史乐观主题，割断联系，强调凌乱性和片段性，只在现时中寻找慰藉和满足。ThankYou!