The Concept of Nature The Tarner Lectures Delivered in Trinity College, November 1919

"The Concept of Nature" by Alfred North Whitehead is a philosophical treatise written in the early 20th century. This work embodies a series of lectures that explore the philosophy of the sciences and the interrelations between various branches of knowledge, particularly focusing on the natural sciences. Whitehead aims to redefine and clarify the nature of scientific inquiry, challenging prevailing notions of matter and substance that have dominated scientific discourse. The opening of the work outlines the intentions behind the Tarner lectures at Trinity College, establishing a framework for discussing the philosophy of the sciences. Whitehead emphasizes the importance of understanding nature as both a complex of entities and a process that unfolds through time, advocating for a view that avoids dualistic interpretations of reality. He introduces key concepts such as sense-perception, thought, and the distinctions between homogeneous and heterogeneous thinking. Through these foundational ideas, he begins to navigate the challenging terrain of natural philosophy, seeking to unite various scientific perspectives under a cohesive understanding of nature itself. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Alfred North Whitehead was an English mathematician and philosopher. He created the philosophical school known as process philosophy, which has been applied in a wide variety of disciplines, including ecology, theology, education, physics, biology, economics, and psychology.