Physics and Whitehead

Timothy E. Eastman is Group Manager for Space Science at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and a consultant in plasma science and technology. Hank Keeton is President of Keeton Construction Corporation and earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

"Eastman and Keeton have edited a remarkable collection of essays by prominent scientists and philosophers influenced by the process philosophy of A. N. Whitehead … An introduction by the series editor, dialogues at the end of each part of the book, a glossary, bibliography, and an index enhance the quality of this well-produced volume … Highly recommended." — CHOICE"Without question this book contains some outstanding and state-of-the-art essays on the very significant issue of the relation between Whitehead's philosophy and contemporary physics. This is a truly needed addition to the growing field of process studies and may well enhance the overall intellectual respectability of process thinking for a wide swath of intelligentsia." — George W. Shields, editor of Process and Analysis: Whitehead, Hartshorne, and the Analytic Tradition"What excites me most about this book is the effort of leading physicists to advance their reflections about physics through interaction with philosophy—primarily that of Whitehead. It also suggests that, after a long delay, cutting-edge scientists recognize the need of science for some of Whitehead's seminal ideas." — John B. Cobb Jr., Founding Co-director, Center for Process Studies"This book is full of unexpected insights, new ideas, and useful suggestions. There is also a fascinating juxtaposition of philosophical and scientific viewpoints." — Pete A. Y. Gunter, editor of Creativity in George Herbert Mead

• Preface Series Introduction Part I. Physics and Whitehead 1 Introduction to Process ThoughtPhilip Clayton 2. Duality without DualismTimothy E. Eastman 3. Whitehead as Mathematical PhysicistHank Keeton 4. Evidence for Process in the Physical WorldJohn A. Jungerman 5. Dialogue for Part I Part II. Order and Emergence 6. Constraints on the Origin of Coherence in Far-from-Equilibrium Chemical SystemsJoseph E. Earley Sr. 7. Whitehead's Philosophy and the Collapse of Quantum StatesShimon Malin 8. A Historical Reality That Includes Big Bang, Free Will, and Elementary ParticlesGeoffrey F. Chew 9. Whiteheadian Process and Quantum TheoryHenry P. Stapp 10. Dialogue for Part II Part III. Fundamental Processes 11. The Primacy of Asymmetry over Symmetry in PhysicsJoe Rosen 12. Spacetime and Becoming: Overcoming the Contradiction Between Special Relativity and the Passage of TimeNiles Viggo Hansen 13. The Individuality of a Quantum Event: Whitehead's Epochal Theory of Time and Bohr's Framework or ComplementarityYutaka Tanaka 14. Physical Process and Physical LawDavid Ritz Finkelstein 15. Dialogue for Part III Part IV. Metaphysics 16. Whitehead's Process Philosophy as Scientific MetaphysicsFranz G. Riffert 17. Whitehead and the Quantum ExperienceJorge Luis Nobo 18. Dialogue for Part IV Glossary Bibliography Contributors Note on Supporting Center Index SUNY Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought