Fundamental Impermanence: Process Philosophy and Occupational Potential

Process philosophy at its core is concerned with the progressive and ever- changing nature of existence. It aims to define reality by exploring how things come to be, their existence in real time, how they come to pass, and how this results in the emergence of the ever-new. Process philosophy offers a unique perspective compared to other philosophies typically emphasized in Western philosophical development, such as philosophies of substance (Rescher, 1996). Where substance metaphysics considers the world, at its most basic parts, to be made of stable, concrete substances (things), process philosophy offers the opposite perspective, wherein dynamic processes are the most basic features of reality (Rescher, 1996; Seibt, 2017). This means that what appear to be material substances can actually be broken down into smaller subunits, these subunits being processes or “actual occasions” (Whitehead, 1929). These actual occasions are constantly evolving, shaped by the past, and governed by some prehension of the future (Whitehead, 1929). In summary, concrete objects, human experiences, and natural phenomena which are perceived to endure in time and space (existents) are actually a collection of unit events (processes) that when taken together give the appearance of an absolute whole. Process philosophy does not deny the existence of substance in everyday life; it simply breaks substance down further to fit in the context of basic metaphysical truths (Rescher, 1996). It takes the face value of a thing and measures it against ontological questions of how, why, and what it means to exist. Upon deeper examination, it concludes that the answer lies one step further in this idea of ever-evolving and interrelated processes, without which our conception of reality would be not only disjointed, but also shallow. From a process perspective, then, the reality we see before us is actually a product of dynamic activity that only gives the appearance of enduring substance.