Alfred North Whitehead return to religion-online Alfred North Whitehead by Norman Pittenger Dr. Pittenger, philosopher and theologian, was a senior member of King’s College, Cambridge for many years, then Professor of Christian Apologetics at the General Theological Seminary in.
Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) was a British mathematicianand philosopher best known for his work in mathematical logic and thephilosophy of science. In collaboration with Bertrand Russell, heco-authored the landmark three-volume Principia Mathematica(1910, 1912, 1913). Later, he was instrumental in pioneering theapproach to metaphysics now known as process philosophy.Although there are important continuities throughout his career,Whitehead’s intellectual life is often divided into three mainperiods. The first corresponds roughly to his time at Cambridge from1884 to 1910. It was during these years that he worked primarily onissues in mathematics and logic.
It was also during this time that hecollaborated with Russell. The second main period, from 1910 to 1924,corresponds roughly to his time at London. Telemann viola concerto in g major pdf editor free. During these yearsWhitehead concentrated mainly on issues in physics, the philosophy ofscience, and the philosophy of education. The third main periodcorresponds roughly to his time at Harvard from 1924 onward. It wasduring this time that he worked primarily on issues inmetaphysics. Life and WorksThe son of an Anglican clergyman, Whitehead graduated from Cambridgein 1884 and was elected a Fellow of Trinity College that same year.His marriage to Evelyn Wade six years later was largely a happy oneand together they had a daughter (Jessie) and two sons (North andEric).
After moving to London, Whitehead served as president of theAristotelian Society from 1922 to 1923. After moving to Harvard, hewas elected to the British Academy in 1931. His moves to both Londonand Harvard were prompted in part by institutional regulationsrequiring mandatory retirement, although his resignation fromCambridge was also done partly in protest over how the University hadchosen to discipline Andrew Forsyth, a friend and colleague whoseaffair with a married woman had become something of a localscandal.In addition to Russell, Whitehead influenced many other students whobecame equally or more famous than their teacher, examiner orsupervisor himself. For example: mathematicians G. E.Littlewood; mathematical physicists Edmund Whittaker, ArthurEddington, and James Jeans; economist J. Keynes; and philosophersSusanne Langer, Nelson Goodman, and Willard van Orman Quine.
Whiteheaddid not, however, inspire any school of thought during his lifetime,and most of his students distanced themselves from parts of histeachings that they considered anachronistic.