The Concept of Nature: The Tarner Lectures Delivered in Trinity College, November 1919Whitehead, Alfred North
Philosophy
The Concept of Nature: The Tarner Lectures Delivered in Trinity College, November 1919
Whitehead, Alfred North
Knowledge, Theory of; Nature; Science -- Philosophy
For instance, suppose we adopt the relational theory of space. Then the
space in which apparent nature is set is the expression of certain
relations between the apparent objects. It is a set of apparent
relations between apparent relata. Apparent nature is the dream, and
the apparent relations of space are dream relations, and the space is
the dream space. Similarly the space in which causal nature is set is
the expression of certain relations between the causal objects. It is
the expression of certain facts about the causal activity which is going
on behind the scenes. Accordingly causal space belongs to a different
order of reality to apparent space. Hence there is no pointwise
connexion between the two and it is meaningless to say that the
molecules of the grass are in any place which has a determinate spatial
relation to the place occupied by the grass which we see. This
conclusion is very paradoxical and makes nonsense of all scientific
phraseology. The case is even worse if we admit the relativity of time.
For the same arguments apply, and break up time into the dream time and
causal time which belong to different orders of reality.
I have however been discussing an extreme form of the bifurcation
theory. It is, as I think, the most defensible form. But its very
definiteness makes it the more evidently obnoxious to criticism. The
intermediate form allows that the nature we are discussing is always the
nature directly known, and so far it rejects the bifurcation theory. But
it holds that there are psychic additions to nature as thus known, and
that these additions are in no proper sense part of nature. For example,
we perceive the red billiard ball at its proper time, in its proper
place, with its proper motion, with its proper hardness, and with its
proper inertia. But its redness and its warmth, and the sound of the
click as a cannon is made off it are psychic additions, namely,
secondary qualities which are only the mind's way of perceiving nature.
This is not only the vaguely prevalent theory, but is, I believe, the
historical form of the bifurcation theory in so far as it is derived
from philosophy. I shall call it the theory of psychic additions.
This theory of psychic additions is a sound common-sense theory which
lays immense stress on the obvious reality of time, space, solidity and
inertia, but distrusts the minor artistic additions of colour, warmth
and sound.
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