Science and the modern worldWhitehead, Alfred North
Religion
Science and the modern world
Whitehead, Alfred North
Science
Turning now to the examination of an occupied event, the electron has a
determinate individuality. It can be traced throughout its life-history
through a variety of events. A collection of electrons, together with
the analogous atomic charges of positive electricity, forms a body such
as we ordinarily perceive. The simplest body of this kind is a molecule,
and a set of molecules forms a lump of ordinary matter, such as a chair,
or a stone. Thus a charge of electricity is the mark of individuality of
content, as additional to the individuality of an event in itself. This
individuality of content is the strong point of the materialistic
doctrine.
It can, however, be equally well explained on the theory of organism.
When we look into the function of the electric charge, we note that its
rôle is to mark the origination of a pattern which is transmitted
through space and time. It is the key of some particular pattern. For
example, the field of force in any event is to be constructed by
attention to the adventures of electrons and protons, and so also are
the streams and distributions of energy. Further, the electric waves
find their origin in the vibratory adventures of these charges. Thus the
transmitted pattern is to be conceived as the flux of aspects throughout
space and time derived from the life history of the atomic charge. The
individualisation of the charge arises by a conjunction of two
characters, in the first place by the continued identity of its mode of
functioning as a key for the determination of a diffusion of pattern;
and, in the second place, by the unity and continuity of its life
history.
We may conclude, therefore, that the organic theory represents directly
what physics actually does assume respecting its ultimate entities. We
also notice the complete futility of these entities, if they are
conceived as fully concrete individuals. So far as physics is concerned,
they are wholly occupied in moving each other about, and they have no
reality outside this function. In particular for physics, there is no
intrinsic reality.
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