Neoprocessism: truth, reality and language reconsidered

This thesis seeks to explore the coherence and potency of process metaphysics and asks the question: what bearing does process metaphysics have on the role and import of human language? Beginning with an examination and critique of Alfred North Whitehead’s philosophy of organism, a thorough appreciation and application of both a principle of perspective and what Whitehead terms the ‘subjectivist principle’ are found to be lacking. Through an expounding and upholding of each of these principles, an alternative, naturalistic process metaphysics the author terms ‘neoprocessism’ is established. First, offering a serious critique of the divine entity based on the principle of perspective, Whitehead’s God is shown to be incoherent. Similarly, the assumption of a determinate, monistic model of truth is challenged and shown to be incoherent with reference to the inherent and unavoidable panexperientialism of any process metaphysics predicated on a subjectivist principle. ‘Neoprocessism’ arises as a viable alternative that takes seriously the central claim of process philosophy — that reality is reducible and exhaustively explained as perspectival, experiential event. It becomes apparent that neoprocessism has serious implications for models of truth and reality and a coherent inclusion of relativistic conceptions for each is achieved. Having established a thoroughly immanent, naturalistic and internally consistent process metaphysics, the thesis finally examines the role and import of language under such a metaphysical framework and argues that a logical conclusion for all naturalistic process philosophies is that language must be seen as its own species of event and thus ontologically creative.