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Extending Whiteheadian Organic Cosmology to a Comprehensive Science of Nature

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Process Cosmology

Part of the book series: Palgrave Perspectives on Process Philosophy ((PPPP))

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Abstract

Attila Grandpierre follows the various trajectories of Whitehead’s fundamental affirmation of primal activity, from the microscopic to the macroscopic, and in dialogue with a variety of scientific and philosophical voices. In articulating why Whitehead was so unsatisfied with physical cosmology, Grandpierre extends his processive insights to address key questions including the philosophical problem of activity; the origins of physical laws; whether there might be a universal principle of biology (Bauer’s principle); the relevance of both Gaia and Helios theory; and the origin of life and the first cell. From physics to anthropic cosmology and astrobiology, Grandpierre reveals the significance of Whiteheadian organic cosmology and the ways in which it finds scientific confirmation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    At present, the only fundamental equation of physics what is not yet derived from the PLA is the fundamental equations of thermodynamics. Yet the Second Law expresses the same equilibration tendency as the PLA itself. It seems that thermodynamical irreversibility only complicates the details of calculations (Sieniutycz, 2005). Moreover, “there is no a priori reason” against unifying thermodynamics into the rest of physics on the basis of PLA. There is hope for [coping with some mathematical difficulties and achieving that] the PLA will embrace ALL of physics (Coopersmith, 2019). “It [the PLA] underlies ALL physics” (Coopersmith, 2019). We note here that Coopersmith interprets the PLA in the approach of physics, while we work here in a wider approach including genuine biological laws, principles, feelings and thoughts. In our approach, it becomes clear that the “Universe” is not merely the physical universe but also the emotional and intellectual dimensions and their corresponding principles, the Principle of Life and the Principle of Reason. In this wider approach, the Universe is fully active, driven by the Principle of Life, acting below the quantum level.

  2. 2.

    Refer to the “anthropic principle” entry in Encyclopedia Britannica, 2012.

  3. 3.

    See for example Fox & Dose, 1977.

  4. 4.

    See for example, Hunter, 1996, pp. 130–138; Barbieri, 2002, pp. 743–754; Yockey, 2005, p. 6.

  5. 5.

    “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” (Whitehead, 1978, 7).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hungarian Ecological Civilization Research Institute, Almáskert, Hungary

    Attila Grandpierre

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  1. Attila Grandpierre
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Correspondence to Attila Grandpierre .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Center for Process Studies, Claremont School of Theology Willamette University, Salem, OR, USA

    Andrew M. Davis

  2. Instituto de Estudos Filosóficos, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Maria-Teresa Teixeira

  3. The Center for Process Studies, Claremont School of Theology Willamette University, Salem, OR, USA

    Wm. Andrew Schwartz

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Grandpierre, A. (2022). Extending Whiteheadian Organic Cosmology to a Comprehensive Science of Nature. In: Davis, A.M., Teixeira, MT., Schwartz, W.A. (eds) Process Cosmology. Palgrave Perspectives on Process Philosophy . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81396-3_3

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