Padiyath The Metaphysics of Becoming

On the Relationship between Creativity and God in Whitehead and Supermind and Sachchidananda in Aurobindo
1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-3-11-034277-2
Verlag: De Gruyter
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 25, 462 Seiten

Reihe: Process ThoughtISSN

This study attempts to elucidate a possible meeting point of the traditions of Eastern and Western metaphysical thinking. In discussing Whitehead’s and Aurobindo’s views on being and becoming, it seeks the possibility of a better engagement between the East and the West in the light of the philosophical insights.

It is an initiation into the of Whitehead’s philosophy and his general thought pattern. It carries a perceptive analysis to show the clear primacy of Becoming or Process in Whitehead that extends even to the Divine.

It also highlights Aurobindo as a unique Indian Philosopher, who articulated Indian thought in Western categories. He was able to integrate the evolutionary theory of the West with the Indian understanding of becoming. The relationship between God and Creativity and Sachchidananda and the Supermind is studied within the context of Enlightenment and Modernity and the way of doing philosophy in the West and in the East.

Zielgruppe

Academics (Philosophy, Asian Studies), Libraries, Institutes

Autoren/Hrsg.

Padiyath, Thomas

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Metaphysik, Ontologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Geschichte der Westlichen Philosophie Westliche Philosophie: 20./21. Jahrhundert
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Nicht-Westliche Philosophie Indische & Asiatische Philosophie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Abbreviations;24
2;General Introduction;27
3;Part One: Whitehead’s Metaphysics of Becoming;43
3.1;1 Metaphysics of Becoming: Setting the Context;47
3.1.1;1.1 Greek Philosophy to Scientific Materialism;48
3.1.2;1.2 Whitehead’s Response to the Greek Outlook of Nature;49
3.1.2.1;1.2.1 The Emergence of Materialism in Modernity;51
3.1.2.1.1;1.2.1.1 The Doctrine of Simple Location;54
3.1.2.1.2;1.2.1.2 Whitehead and Classical Physics;55
3.1.2.1.3;1.2.1.3 The Metaphysical Dualism of ‘Res Extensa and Res Cogitans’;57
3.1.2.1.4;1.2.1.4 Newton’s Mechanistic View of the Universe;60
3.1.2.2;1.2.2 Whitehead’s Response to Scientific Materialism;61
3.1.3;1.3 The Positive Influences;64
3.1.3.1;1.3.1 The Re-construction of Physical Sciences;64
3.1.3.2;1.3.2 The Romantic Movement;65
3.1.3.3;1.3.3 An Inevitable Shift in Methodology;67
3.2;2 Whitehead’s Metaphysics of Indefinite Pluralities in Becoming;71
3.2.1;2.1 Being to Beingness in Becoming;71
3.2.1.1;2.1.1 The Fundamental Principle of Becoming;73
3.2.1.2;2.1.2 The Enigma of Becoming;75
3.2.2;2.2 Fundamental Reality in Whitehead;77
3.2.2.1;2.2.1 Actual Occasion: the Dynamic Subject;79
3.2.2.2;2.2.2 The Constitution of an Actual Occasion;80
3.2.2.2.1;2.2.2.1 The Theory of Concrescence;81
3.2.2.2.2;2.2.2.2 The Concept of Prehension;82
3.2.2.2.3;2.2.2.3 Satisfaction;87
3.2.3;2.3 The Characteristics of Actual Occasion;89
3.2.3.1;2.3.1 Actual Occasion: A Unity of the Physical and Mental Poles;90
3.2.3.1.1;2.3.1.1 The Physical Pole;91
3.2.3.1.2;2.3.1.2 The Conceptual Pole;91
3.2.3.2;2.3.2 Actual Occasion: A Self-actualising Concrescence;92
3.2.3.3;2.3.3 Actual Occasion: An Experience of Being Subject-Superject;95
3.2.4;2.4 The Eternal Objects: Pure Potentials for Actual Occasion;96
3.2.4.1;2.4.1 The Ontological Necessity of the Eternal Objects;97
3.2.4.2;2.4.2 The Complimentarity of the Actual and the Eternal;99
3.3;3 Creativity: The Raison d’être of Becoming;101
3.3.1;3.1 The Distinctive Features of Creativity;101
3.3.1.1;3.1.1 The Emergence of the Concept Creativity;102
3.3.1.2;3.1.2 Creativity: The Pure Notion of the Activity;104
3.3.1.3;3.1.3 Creativity: A Meta-theoretical Concept;105
3.3.2;3.2 Creativity: the Metaphysical Ultimate in Whitehead;107
3.3.3;3.3 Different Interpretations of Creativity;109
3.3.3.1;3.3.1 Creativity: The Self-Caused Subjective Feeling;109
3.3.3.2;3.3.2 Creativity: Monistic or Pluralistic?;110
3.3.3.3;3.3.3 Creativity as Eternal Object;112
3.3.3.4;3.3.4 Creativity as Future Becoming;113
3.3.4;3.4 Creativity: The Raison d’être of Becoming;115
3.3.4.1;3.4.1 Creativity: the Innate Nature of Every Actuality;115
3.3.4.2;3.4.2 Creativity: the Principle of Creative Advance;117
3.3.4.3;3.4.3 Creativity: the Principle of Novelty;119
3.4;4 God and the Metaphysics of Becoming;122
3.4.1;4.1 God and the Metaphysical Principles;122
3.4.2;4.2 God and the Metaphysics of Becoming;124
3.4.2.1;4.2.1 God: A Metaphysical Necessity;125
3.4.2.2;4.2.2 God: An Actual Entity;127
3.4.2.3;4.2.3 The Dipolar Nature of God;127
3.4.2.3.1;4.2.3.1 The Primordial Nature of God;129
3.4.2.3.2;4.2.3.2 The Consequent Nature of God;130
3.4.2.4;4.2.4 God: The Principle of Limitation;134
3.4.2.5;4.2.5 The Vindication of the Refuted;136
3.4.3;4.3 God-World Relation in Whitehead’s Metaphysics of Becoming;140
3.4.3.1;4.3.1 God the Creator and the Metaphysics of Becoming;141
3.4.3.2;4.3.2 God: the Reservoir of Potentiality;143
3.4.3.3;4.3.3 God: the Source of Novelty;145
3.4.3.4;4.3.4 God: the Principle of Order and Harmony;146
3.4.3.5;4.3.5 God: the Source of the Initial Aim;147
3.4.4;4.4 The Religious Significance of Whitehead’s God;149
3.4.4.1;4.4.1 The Complexity of the Subject;150
3.4.4.2;4.4.2 The Goodness of God versus the Will of God;153
3.4.4.3;4.4.3 God: the Wisdom that Permeates the Universe;156
3.4.4.4;4.4.4 Metaphysics of Becoming without God;158
4;Part Two: Aurobindo’s Integral Advaita and the Metaphysics of Becoming;163
4.1;5 Integral Advaita: Its Place within the Indian Philosophical Tradition;167
4.1.1;5.1 Fundamental Presuppositions of Aurobindo’s Metaphysics;168
4.1.2;5.2 Aurobindo and Vedanta Philosophy;170
4.1.2.1;5.2.1 Aurobindo and Advaita Philosophy of Shankara;171
4.1.2.1.1;5.2.1.1 Shankara’s Theory of Reality;172
4.1.2.1.2;5.2.1.2 Aurobindo’s Response to Absolute Non-Dualism;175
4.1.2.2;5.2.2 Aurobindo and the Vishishtadvaita of Ramanuja;177
4.1.2.2.1;5.2.2.1 Ramanuja’s Theory of Reality;177
4.1.2.2.2;5.2.2.2 Aurobindo’s Response to Qualified Non-Dualism;180
4.1.2.3;5.2.3 Dvaitavata of Madhva;181
4.1.2.3.1;5.2.3.1 Theory of Difference and Dependence;182
4.1.2.3.2;5.2.3.2 The Ontology of Madhva;183
4.1.2.3.3;5.2.3.3 Aurobindo and Absolute Dualism;184
4.1.3;5.3 Aurobindo and Different Theories of Existence;186
4.1.3.1;5.3.1 The Supracosmic View;186
4.1.3.1.1;5.3.1.1 The Distinctive Nature of the Supracosmic View;187
4.1.3.1.2;5.3.1.2 The Supracosmic View and Integral Advaitism of Aurobindo;188
4.1.3.2;5.3.2 The Cosmic-terrestrial View;189
4.1.3.2.1;5.3.2.1 The Distinctiveness of the Cosmic-terrestrial View;189
4.1.3.2.2;5.3.2.2 The Cosmic-terrestrial View and Integral Advaitism;190
4.1.3.3;5.3.3 The Supraterrestrial View;192
4.1.3.3.1;5.3.3.1 Distinguishing Features of the Supra-terrestrial View;193
4.1.3.3.2;5.3.3.2 Aurobindo’s Response to the Theories of Existence;193
4.2;6 Integral Advaita: A Metaphysics of Becoming;196
4.2.1;6.1 The Integral Advaitic View of Existence;196
4.2.1.1;6.1.1 The Name Integral Advaita;197
4.2.1.2;6.1.2 Distinctiveness of Integral Yoga;199
4.2.2;6.2 Aurobindo’s Interpretation of the Concept of Maya;201
4.2.2.1;6.2.1 Maya: the Power of Becoming in Indian Philosophy;203
4.2.2.2;6.2.2 Maya: The Self’s Experience of Its Being;206
4.2.2.3;6.2.3 Maya: Not a Passive Notion but a Dynamic Notion;207
4.2.3;6.3 Dipolar Nature of the Reality;210
4.2.3.1;6.3.1 Matter as the Foundational Substratum of Existence;211
4.2.3.2;6.3.2 The Relation between Matter and Spirit;212
4.2.3.3;6.3.3 Dipolarity is Not Dichotomy;214
4.2.4;6.4 The Concept of Evolution: A Process Toward Integral Unity;216
4.2.4.1;6.4.1 The Idea of Evolution in Indian Philosophy;216
4.2.4.2;6.4.2 Aurobindo’s Vision of Evolution;217
4.2.4.2.1;6.4.2.1 Distinctiveness of Aurobindo’s Concept of Evolution;218
4.2.4.2.2;6.4.2.2 Teleology Central to Aurobindo’s Concept of Evolution;219
4.2.5;6.5 Cosmic Consciousness: the Locus of Becoming;222
4.2.5.1;6.5.1 The Individual and the Efficacy of Cosmic Consciousness;223
4.2.5.2;6.5.2 Cosmic Consciousness: the Source of Reconciliation;224
4.2.6;6.6 The One and the Many: The Way of Being in Becoming;226
4.2.6.1;6.6.1 The Absolute: Unity Manifesting Multiplicity;226
4.2.6.2;6.6.2 The Infinite: the Locus of Unity;228
4.3;7 Sachchidananda and the Metaphysics of Becoming;231
4.3.1;7.1 The Concept of the Absolute in Philosophy;231
4.3.1.1;7.1.1 Brahman: the Absolute in Indian Philosophy;232
4.3.1.2;7.1.2 Aurobindo’s Understanding of the Absolute;233
4.3.2;7.2 The Understanding of God in Indian Philosophy;236
4.3.2.1;7.2.1 The Subjective Dimension of Brahman;236
4.3.2.2;7.2.2 The Objective Dimension of Brahman;239
4.3.3;7.3 Sachchidananda: The Absolute in Aurobindo;242
4.3.3.1;7.3.1 Sachchidananda: The Greatest Achievement of Vedanta;243
4.3.3.2;7.3.2 The Trinity of Sachchidananda;244
4.3.3.2.1;7.3.2.1 The Absolute as Pure Existence (Sat);245
4.3.3.2.2;7.3.2.2 The Absolute as Consciousness-Force (Cit-Shakti);247
4.3.3.2.3;7.3.2.3 The Absolute as Bliss (Ananda);249
4.3.3.2.4;7.3.2.4 The Inter-dependent Nature of the Trilogy;251
4.3.4;7.4 Sachchidananda and the Metaphysics of Becoming;253
4.3.4.1;7.4.1 The Involution of the Absolute;254
4.3.4.1.1;7.4.1.1 Why Involution or the Becoming?;255
4.3.4.1.2;7.4.1.2 Involution: The Becoming of the Absolute;258
4.3.4.2;7.4.2 The Effects of Involution;260
4.3.4.2.1;7.4.2.1 Theory of World as the Manifestation;261
4.3.4.2.2;7.4.2.2 Sachchidananda: The Substratum and the Cause of the Universe;264
4.4;8 The Supermind: The Raison d’être of Becoming;267
4.4.1;8.1 The Supermind;267
4.4.1.1;8.1.1 Vedic Roots of the Supermind;268
4.4.1.2;8.1.2 The Distinctive Nature of the Supermind;270
4.4.1.3;8.1.3 The Triple Status of the Supermind;271
4.4.1.3.1;8.1.3.1 Comprehending Consciousness or Transcendent Status;272
4.4.1.3.2;8.1.3.2 The Apprehending Consciousness;273
4.4.1.3.3;8.1.3.3 The Projecting Consciousness;274
4.4.1.3.4;8.1.3.4 Combined Activity – The Way of Being-Becoming;274
4.4.2;8.2 The Mind and the Supermind;276
4.4.2.1;8.2.1 In the Realm of Epistemology;277
4.4.2.2;8.2.2 Spatio-temporal Limitation of the Mind;278
4.4.2.3;8.2.3 Supermind: Identity of the Ideal and Actual;279
4.4.2.4;8.2.4 The Transformative Ascent from Mind to the Supermind;280
4.4.2.4.1;8.2.4.1 The Higher Mind;282
4.4.2.4.2;8.2.4.2 The Illumined Mind;283
4.4.2.4.3;8.2.4.3 The Intuitive Mind;283
4.4.2.4.4;8.2.4.4 The Overmind;285
4.4.2.5;8.2.5 The Supramental Transformation;287
4.4.3;8.3 The Supermind: Its Role, Relevance and Ultimacy;288
4.4.3.1;8.3.1 Supermind: An Onto-logical Necessity;288
4.4.3.2;8.3.2 Supermind: The Intermediate Link;289
4.4.3.3;8.3.3 Supermind: The Creative Principle;291
4.4.3.4;8.3.4 Supermind: Principle of Reconciliation;292
4.4.3.5;8.3.5 Supermind: The Ordering and Harmonising Principle;294
4.4.3.6;8.3.6 Supermind: The Raison d’être of Becoming;297
5;Part Three: On the Relationship between Creativity and God and Supermind and Sachchidananda;303
5.1;9 On the Relationship between God and Creativity in Whitehead and Sachchidananda and Supermind in Aurobindo;307
5.1.1;9.1 The Ultimacy of God and Creativity;308
5.1.1.1;9.1.1 God and Creativity Clearly Distinguished;309
5.1.1.2;9.1.2 Different Approaches and Re-configurings;313
5.1.1.2.1;9.1.2.1 The Identification of Creativity and God;313
5.1.1.2.2;9.1.2.2 God: the Source of Creativity;315
5.1.1.2.3;9.1.2.3 The Immanent Interdependence of God and Creativity;318
5.1.2;9.2 The Ultimacy of Sachchidananda and the Supermind;321
5.1.2.1;9.2.1 One in Essence and Dipolar in Existence;321
5.1.2.2;9.2.2 Supermind: The Icon of Sachchidananda;323
5.1.2.2.1;9.2.2.1 Supermind: The God Aspect of Sachchidananda;324
5.1.2.2.2;9.2.2.2 Supermind: The Truth-Consciousness of Sachchidananda;326
5.1.3;9.3 The Raison d’être for the Distinction of God and Creativity;328
5.1.3.1;9.3.1 On the Demand of the Question of Evil;329
5.1.3.2;9.3.2 On the Demand of Freedom;335
5.1.4;9.4 The Sine qua non for the Interdependence of Sachchidananda and Supermind;337
5.1.4.1;9.4.1 On the Ground of Theism and Monism;338
5.1.4.2;9.4.2 The Problem of Evil;340
5.1.4.2.1;9.4.2.1 The Complexity of the Problem;341
5.1.4.2.2;9.4.2.2 God the Creator and the Enigma of Evil;342
5.1.4.2.3;9.4.2.3 Evil and Divine Bliss;344
5.1.4.2.4;9.4.2.4 The Interplay of Good and Evil;346
5.1.4.2.5;9.4.2.5 Evil and Divine Economy;347
5.2;10 Toward an East-West Intermediation in the Metaphysics of Becoming in the Context of the Distinction between Metaphysics and Religion;350
5.2.1;10.1 The Distinctiveness of the West in Doing Philosophy;351
5.2.1.1;10.1.1 Reason: Central to Western Philosophy;352
5.2.1.2;10.1.2 Medieval Philosophy: A Combination of Faith and Reason;356
5.2.2;10.2 The Influence of the Enlightenment and Modernity;358
5.2.2.1;10.2.1 Modernity and Rationality;360
5.2.2.1.1;10.2.1.1 Modernity and the Question of Transcendence;361
5.2.2.1.2;10.2.1.2 The Emergence of Immanent Transcendence;364
5.2.2.2;10.2.2 The Separation of Metaphysics and Religion in the West;367
5.2.3;10.3 Whitehead’s Distance from Modernity;372
5.2.3.1;10.3.1 Religious and Metaphysical Ultimate as Distinct;372
5.2.3.2;10.3.2 The Metaphysical and the Religious Ultimate are Different;377
5.2.4;10.4 The Way of Doing Philosophy in the East;380
5.2.4.1;10.4.1 The Distinctiveness of the East;381
5.2.4.1.1;10.4.1.1 Darsna Versus Weltanschauung;382
5.2.4.1.2;10.4.1.2 Existence Is Value;384
5.2.4.1.3;10.4.1.3 Sense of Transcendence;387
5.2.4.2;10.4.2 Religion and Philosophy: Two Modes of Expressions;389
5.2.4.2.1;10.4.2.1 Religion, Philosophy and Freedom;391
5.2.4.2.2;10.4.2.2 Philosophy and Religion: Distinct but not Separate;391
5.2.4.3;10.4.3 The Complimentarity of Faith and Reason;395
5.2.4.3.1;10.4.3.1 The Role and the Limitations of Reason;396
5.2.4.3.2;10.4.3.2 Human Reason: A Mediator not an Angel;398
5.2.4.3.3;10.4.3.3 Reason Transcending to the Realm of Intuition;400
5.2.5;10.5 The Middle Way of Whitehead and Aurobindo;403
5.3;11 General Conclusion;406
5.3.1;11.1 Resumé;406
5.3.2;11.2 Whitehead and Aurobindo and East-West Dialogue;409
5.3.2.1;11.2.1 Being and Becoming: an Attempt to Think them Together;409
5.3.2.2;11.2.2 A Synthetic Approach to Matter and Spirit;417
5.3.2.3;11.2.3 The Realism of Whitehead and Aurobindo;419
5.3.2.4;11.2.4 Teleology and Purpose versus Nihilism;421
5.3.2.5;11.2.5 Religion and Philosophy: Distinction Versus Separation;424
5.3.2.6;11.2.6 Reason and Intuition: Two Sources of Philosophy;426
5.3.2.7;11.2.7 Reason and Experience Combined: A New Paradigm;428
5.3.3;11.3 An Attitude of Engagement Rather than Estrangement;437
6;References;444

Über Autor(innen)

Thomas Padiyath, Good Shepherd Major Seminary Kunnoth, Iritty, Kannur, India.