Dewey, Whitehead, and Process Metaphysics

This chapter is divided into three main sections: Dewey’s metaphysics, Whitehead’s metaphysics, and the connections between them. The Dewey section begins with a discussion of current perceptions among scholars of Dewey’s metaphysics, which runs the gamut from those who claim that he did not do metaphysics to those who think he did it well. Next there is a discussion of Dewey’s starting point, with an emphasis on “The Postulate of Immediate Empiricism.” This seminal essay is crucial to understanding Dewey’s approach to philosophy in general. There is then a brief defense of Deweyan metaphysics, followed by a shortlisting of his generic traits of existence. The Whitehead section covers speculative philosophy, Whitehead’s categories, and his theory of prehensions. The final section discusses two of the many items that connect Dewey and Whitehead: their starting points and their take on the mind/body problem.