Whitehead’s Universe

A Five-Week Introductory Zoom Course for the Philosophically and Theologically Curious

Taught by Dr. Andrew M. Davis

“Reality is not static: it is a process of becoming. The fluent character of the togetherness of things was already emphasized in Greek philosophy: All things flow, said Heraclitus. Indeed the fact is too obvious to escape notice. But unfortunately things which are too obvious often escape receiving their due emphasis”
— Alfred North Whitehead

Course Overview

“Process philosophy” is wider than the work of Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947), but the depth and dynamism of his “philosophy of organism” have made him the defining figure of the modern process tradition. His beloved wife Evelyn once used the metaphor of a prism to describe his thinking: “It must be seen not from one side alone but from all sides, then from underneath and overhead. So seen, as one moves around it, the prism is full of changing lights and colors. To have seen it from one side only is to not have seen it.” In this five-session Zoom course, Dr. Davis introduces students, lifelong learners, and the philosophically and theologically curious to the various sides, lights, and colors belonging to Whitehead’s prismatic universe from the microscopic to the macroscopic, and in direct relation to human experience as an expression of the cosmos.

Rolling Schedule 2025

This course will be offered on a rolling five-week schedule throughout 2025. For the first iteration, running from mid-January to mid-February, two U.S. groups (Group A & B) and one international group (Group C) are available for registration, each limited to 20 students:

  • Group A: Meets Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30 PM, PST (1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12)

  • Group B: Meets Fridays, 5:30-7:30 PM, EST (1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14)

  • Group C: Meets Sundays, 5:30-7:30 PM, UTC (1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16)

  • Next iteration: March-April. Registration opens Feb. 12.

Readings and Resources

The primary readings are provided by Dr. Davis and consist of drafts from his forthcoming book Prismatic Universe: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead. Audio versions of this text will also be available for students who prefer to walk and listen rather sit and read. Optional readings, focusing on key themes of interest, are also provided for those wishing to explore the material more deeply. While completing the readings before each session is not mandatory, it is encouraged to enhance engagement with the material. All Zoom sessions will be recorded and made accessible to participants. In addition, students are encouraged (but not required) to make weekly posts in a discussion forum and submit a brief reflection paper to conclude the course. For more details, refer to the course sessions below, download the syllabus, and register.

A.N. Whitehead

(1861-1947)

Course Sessions

  • The first session Introduces Alfred North Whitehead and his distinctive approach to metaphysics (The M-word), placing his ideas within a broader historical context of process philosophy from the ancient to modern world.

    Required Readings

    • Davis, Prismatic Universe, Preface & Part I

    Going Deeper (optional)

    • Hartshorne, “The Development of Process Philosophy.”

    • Berthrong, “Introduction.”

  • The second session explores Whitehead’s analysis of human experience and provides an introduction to his “philosophy of organism,” addressing common challenges, problems, and questions that arise when engaging with his ideas.

    Required Readings

    • Davis, Prismatic Universe, Preface & Part II

    Going Deeper (optional)

    • McHenry, “Philosophical Implications.”

    • Griffin, “Panexperientialism, Freedom, and the Mind-Body Problem.”

  • The third session focuses on the central roles of possibility, novelty, and value in Whitehead’s universe, highlighting how these concepts relate to human experience as an expression of both biological and cosmological evolution.

    Required Readings

    • Davis, Whitehead’s Universe, Part III.

    Going Deeper (optional)

    • Auxier and Herstein, “The Problem of Possibility”

    • McIntosh, “Primary Values—Beauty, Truth and Goodness.”

  • The fourth session investigates Whitehead’s conception of God, exploring the philosophical functions of the “primordial” and “consequent” natures, as well as other key principles that underlie his philosophical theology.

    Required Readings

    • Davis, Prismatic Universe, Part IV.

    Going Deeper (optional)

    • Cobb, “Whitehead’s Doctrine of God”

    • Dombrowski, “Alfred North Whitehead”


  • The fifth session concludes with a consideration of Whitehead’s critiques of traditional theology, the relevance of his “panentheism” for contemporary religious and spiritual life, and the positive existential transitions his philosophy stimulates.

    Required Readings

    • Whitehead, “The New Reformation.”

    Going Deeper (optional)

    • Johnson, “Religion.”

    • Cobb, “The Religious Availability of Whitehead’s God”

Meet Your Instructor

Andrew M. Davis, Ph.D. is an American process philosopher, theologian, and scholar of the cosmos. He is the academic and research director for the Center for Process Studies where he researches, writes, teaches, and organizes conferences on various aspects of process-relational thought (Whitehead and Beyond). An advocate of metaphysics and meaning in a hospitable universe, he approaches philosophy as the endeavor to systematically think through what reality must be like because we are a part of it. He is the author, editor, and co-editor of nearly a dozen books including Mind, Value, and Cosmos: On the Relational Nature of Ultimacy, Process Cosmology: New Integrations in Science and Philosophy, and Metaphysics of Exo-Life: Toward a Constructive Whiteheadian Cosmotheology. This course is based upon drafts of his next book which is comprehensive, yet conversational, introduction to Whitehead’s universe.

Testimonials

  • “I truly enjoyed this class. I thoroughly admire your facility with students, even those skeptical ones, as well as, your fluid lecturing style. It's been a pleasure.”

    — Terry Runes

  • “I just want to echo the voices of other students and tell you what a fantastic experience this has been. You are a great writer and an even better teacher, I hope we get a chance to formally connect sometime in the future!”

    — Barron Adams

  • “Also, again, I am in awe of your intellect, your wisdom, and your skill as a teacher. I hope that with continued studies I can one day speak of these things with as much conviction and authority (and persuasiveness) as you! In the meantime, I hope that you will offer additional courses that I can take.”

    — Jess Michaels

  • “I immensely enjoyed the class and especially love the very approachable engagement with metaphysics in your book!”

    — Jason Long

  • “I quite enjoyed taking your class and learned a tremendous amount from it! I greatly thank you for leading such a helpful course!”

    — Linda Wright

  • “Thanks so much for your lectures and the course you set up. I really enjoyed it and feel like I finally have somewhat of a grasp on many different ideas within Whitehead's metaphysics!”

    — Jay Foster

  • “…I want to say how incredible our Whitehead course was. I am still reeling from all I learned and tried to absorb, a good thing for the journey. I really appreciate all the resources you provided and look forward to diving into more of them. Whitehead: a life's work. The fact that some of the members of the group have gotten together by Zoom outside of our class time is a testament to your teaching and the class. Very generous folk.”

    — Kathy Weeks

  • “Your class was transformative for me.”

    — Dan Seabert

  • What will you say?

    Register below and let’s find out.