In all philosophic theory there is an ultimate which is actual in virtue of its accidents. It is only then capable of characterization through its accidental embodiments, and apart from these accidents is devoid of actuality. In the philosophy of organism this ultimate is termed creativity; and God is its primordial, non-temporal accident. In monistic philosophies, Spinoza's or absolute idealism, this ultimate is God, who is also equivalently termed The Absolute. In such monistic schemes, the ultimate is illegitimately allowed a final, eminent reality, beyond that ascribed to any of its accidents. In this general position the philosophy of organism seems to approximate more to some strains of Indian, or Chinese, thought, than to western Asiatic, or European, thought. One side makes process ultimate; the other side makes fact ultimate.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- He contrasts Western monism with Eastern thought, arguing for process over fixed fact as the ultimate reality.
- In plain terms
- Reality is better understood as ongoing change rather than a static state.
- What can you take from it?
- Prioritize process over static facts.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is change more real than matter?
- Which philosophy fits your worldview?
Another view
It oversimplifies the distinctions between Western and Eastern thought.
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The chief error in philosophy is overstatement.
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