Category: Charles Hartshorne’s The Unity of Being

Charles Hartshorne’s The Unity of Being The Unity of Being is Charles Hartshorne’s doctoral dissertation presented at Harvard University in 1923. This first Post is the Digest, or Preface. The dissertation is organized in two Parts with fourteen Sections. Fourteen separate Posts will present the fourteen individual Sections with a final Post that lists the… Continue reading Preface to The Unity of Being

PART I.INTRODUCTION 　SECTION 1. Preliminary Definitions 　1. Being and Monism　2. Whole and Part　3. The Absolute 　SECTION 2. Historical Affiliations of Teleological Monism 　1. The Monism of Plato　2. Later Monistic Arguments　3. Hegel’s Argument　4. Teleological Monism　5. Spinoza　6. Kant　7. Royce　8. Conclusion 　SECTION 3. Monism and Present Controversy 　1. The Persistence of Monism　2. Pluralistic Objections　3. Value of Monism　4. Monism… Continue reading Table of Contents

The Unity of Being Part I Section 1 Introduction [1] Section 1 　Preliminary Definitions and Discussions of Terms 1. Being and Monism. The purpose of this study is to defend a certain type of Monism. This term, like, we are tempted to say, almost all terms in philosophy, has occasioned so much difficulty and misunderstanding… Continue reading Part I Section 1

The Unity of Being Part I Section 2 [8] Section 2 　Historical Affiliations of The Theory of Teleological Monism 1. The Monism of Plato. If philosophy may be said to have a tradition, then that tradition assuredly is more nearly summed up in the conception of Immaterial or Spiritual Monism than in any other. Indeed… Continue reading Part I Section 2

The Unity of Being Part I Section 3 [24] Section 3 　Present Controversies on the Issues of Monism 1. The Persistence of Monism. The notable place of the monistic principle in philosophic thought is still illustrated in contemporary conditions. The most impressive realistic metaphysician of today is a thorough going monist —Professor Alexander. The thesis… Continue reading Part I Section 3

The Unity of Being Part I Section 4 [60] Section 4 　Assumption or Principles of Method 1. The Nature of a Philosophical Assumption. The only “assumptions” which perhaps ought to be made in philosophy are — as we have suggested in the section heading — those which are really implied in the very undertaking of… Continue reading Part I Section 4

The Unity of Being Part I Section 5 [82] Section 5 　Plan and Divisions of the Outline 1. Division by Categories. The argument is divided according to categories. Each division represents a phase of the necessity for a Monistic view of Being — the first of the categories considered — a necessity which becomes apparent… Continue reading Part I Section 5

The Unity of Being Part II Section 5A [92] PART II. THE ARGUMENT. Section 5A 　Prefatory Word to Sections 6-9. The rise of the problems of unity in connection with the Categories of Being, Individuality or Uniqueness, Quality, and Relation may be indicated in the following manner. The pluralist and the monist alike might readily… Continue reading Part II Section 5A

The Unity of Being Part II Section 6 [99] Section 6 　The Argument from the Category of Being Argument 1. Thesis: Whatever “Being” may be, all things are related to this something by a relation which is indispensable or internal to them, and which alone renders them other than nothing. Whether “to be” denotes membership… Continue reading Part II Section 6

The Unity of Being Part II Section 7 [117] Section 7 　Individuality Thesis: The category of individuality or distinct identity (or thisness) is in the same foundational or constitutive relation to all entities as, we have held, is the category of being. Argument 1. The present category is sometimes treated as though a thing (in… Continue reading Part II Section 7