Abstract

The contemporary importance of A. N. Whitehead (1861–1947) lies in his direct yet productive challenge to the culture of thought inherent in modernity, a challenge that suffuses science, social theory and philosophy alike. Unlike some of the more destructive aspects of postmodernism and poststructuralism, Whitehead’s diagnosis of the conceptual fault lines of the modern era does not entail a passive relativism. Instead, he calls for a renewal of our concepts, offering a positive, philosophical approach based on becoming, relativity, and a reconception of subjectivity and the social. This book outlines Whitehead’s philosophy, using it to reorient a range of specific questions and topics within contemporary social theory.

‘What if social theory gave up defining the social as opposed to the natural, and accepted the demands of a “culture of thought”, assuming nothing, ruling out nothing? Halewood’s book, exploring the challenge associated with Whitehead’s speculative philosophy, does not propose still another theory, but a new idea of theory.’ —Professor Isabelle Stengers, Université Libre de Bruxelles

‘Michael Halewood’s book is a brilliant exposition of the philosophy of A. N. Whitehead. Outstanding scholarship, combined with careful, sophisticated illustration, brings out the enormous relevance of Whitehead’s radical process thinking for contemporary social theory and social scientific analysis.’ —Professor Mike Michael, Goldsmiths, University of London

Michael Halewood is a Senior Lecturer in Social Theory at the University of Essex. He has published articles and chapters on Whitehead’s relation to Deleuze, Badiou and Butler, as well as pieces on John Dewey, subjectivity and materiality, the body, language and sociality. He has also edited a special section of the journal ‘Theory, Culture and Society’ dedicated to Whitehead, and is an International Academic Advisor to the Whitehead Research Project.

‘Whitehead’s work is scantly mentioned in the social sciences and his name has gone unrecognized. Halewood’s book offers a corrective to this omission… Halewood gives us a review of Whiteheadian thought that is sophisticated and thorough yet still within the reach of, say, an advanced undergraduate… Halewood’s book does the important work of elucidating how Whiteheadian process-relational thought offers a useful framework for the social sciences of today.’ —Michael Carolan, ‘Process Studies’

The contemporary importance of A. N. Whitehead (1861–1947) lies in his direct yet productive challenge to the culture of thought inherent in modernity, a challenge that suffuses science, social theory and philosophy alike. Unlike some of the more destructive aspects of postmodernism and poststructuralism, Whitehead’s diagnosis of the conceptual fault lines of the modern era does not entail a passive relativism. Instead, he calls for a renewal of our concepts, offering a positive, philosophical approach based on becoming, relativity, and a reconception of subjectivity and the social. This book outlines Whitehead’s philosophy, using it to reorient a range of specific questions and topics within contemporary social theory, namely: the relation of language and the body; the relationship between the individual and society; sexual difference; conceptions of nature; the question of realism; the concept of the social; and capitalism as a process. It also provides detailed analyses and comparisons of Whitehead’s concepts with those of Judith Butler on materiality and the body, and of Luce Irigaray on nature, essentialism and sexual difference.

‘Alfred North Whitehead is best known as a mathematician and as a speculative metaphysician. But in this incisive book, Michael Halewood breaks new ground by showing Whitehead’s surprising relevance for social theory, and especially for feminist and Marxist concerns.’ —Professor Steven Shaviro, Wayne State University, Detroit