Abstract
A discussion of God, process and the future as seen in John Cobb's "Early Process Theology". The paper explores John's Cobb's natural theology derived froma Whiteheadian process philosophy. It discusses in particular the nature and power of God and creation. The writer explains that process theology has as its foundational premise that everything in the universe is in process.

From the Paper
"Process theology can be neatly summed up in the reported words of a Greek philosopher: "You cannot step into the same rivers; for fresh waters are ever flowing in upon you" (Heraclitus, b. ca 540 BC). Process theology has as its foundational premise that everything in the universe is in process. In fact, "to be actual is to be a process' (Cobb & Griffin, p.14). Every entity is a process in that it is a sequence of successive stages or events. Therefore in this system, process or experience of change is the starting point, rather than substance or being. The process thought of Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) is what Cobb has attempted to within the context of a Christian theology without reliance on tradition or creeds. Cobb has written many books delineating his own type of process natural theology and applying it to different questions, ranging from the more practical to the more metaphysical or theoretical. He believes that everyone operates out of some type of natural knowledge, some without admitting or realizing it. In his process theology God and creation are continually in process and though order and individuality exist through the Logos, creation is still a battlefield of influences as each entity chooses in each moment whether to follow God or not. The best way in my opinion to look at the problems associated with this theology is to attempt to understand the relationship between God and chaos (that which existed prior to there being "some-thing"). Firstly, Cobb's method and approach to theology will be looked at, especially in relation to Gilkey's review of A Christian Natural Theology, this is followed by a look at process theology as developed by Cobb, as a system or answer to questions about God, process and the future."

Tags:bipolar, logo, natural, nature, omnipotence, prehension, theology

Abstract
By claiming that space is empirically real and transcendentally ideal, Kant rejects both the Newtonian and Leibnizian metaphysical views, though, to be sure, he also finds a median between them. In the preface to the "Critique of Pure Reason," Kant asks, "How are synthetic judgments a priori possible?" To show that they are, he cites pure mathematics and pure natural science as 'progressive' exemplars. Kant plans to show that these judgments are possible, in part, because of the pure forms of intuition, namely, space and time. In this paper, the writer gives a detailed examination and critique of his main arguments to this effect, principally with reference to H. Allison's excellent commentary, "Kant's Transcendental Idealism."

From the Paper
"His position was that such a form must necessarily and logically proceed the actual intuition of an object, and thus, must be given by the mind (logically) prior to any possible experience of an object as distinct from the self. This is the sense in which it is necessary and universal - that is, a priori - as it is an 'epistemic condition' of all human knowledge derived from outer sense. So far I have only asserted Kant's claims, I shall now turn to the arguments he puts forth to establish the apriority and pure intuitive nature of space."

Tags:aesthetic, allison, forms, idealist, intuition, kant, metaphysics, ontology, pure, space, time, transcendent, transcendental

Abstract
This paper discusses David Hume's attack on rationalism in discussing the nature of causation and his promotion of the idea of empiricism. It discusses how Hume showed that expecting an effect to occur as a result of a cause was based solely on experience - the basis of empiricism and not on logic - the basis of rationalism. The paper also shows how Hume proved that rationalism alone could not discover cause and effect, but neither could it rationally exist.

From the Paper
"Hume argues that there is no proof of the necessary connection between cause and effect, as these are, as he concluded, empirical notions. Because empiricism does not rationally prove anything, but only suggest a strong likelihood of truth, cause cannot be rationally connected to effect, but only be conjoined to each other. However, due to the nature of empiricism, Hume argues that the connection can still exist, as it is perceived by the mind to exist. Therefore, we can only imagine cause and effect, but only in the mind. This means that cause and effect can only exist in the mind of the empiricist, who takes knowledge from experience without rational or scientific proof; yet ironically, it is scientific proofs which depend on observations from experience. Once more, the empiricist draws attention to the follies of pure rationalism."

Tags:effect, metaphysics, experience, logic

Abstract
The following paper discusses and gives examples of how new ideas and knowledge are offered to public consciousness and that they are in turn either accepted or disregarded and whichever judgment is chosen, makes a statement about where society places its trust, how ready we are to accept change and how radical we will allow any changes to be. This paper distinguishes between different kinds of knowledge: Medical (scientific knowledge), Religious knowledge, Political ideologies and Social Science theories.

From the Paper
"Medical knowledge is an area which appears to be constantly advancing and changing, new ideas are regularly offered to the public consciousness to be either accepted or disregarded and whichever judgment is chosen makes a statement about where society places its trust, how ready we are to accept change, how radical we will allow any changes to be and whose theories and evidence mass society is willing to accept. An example of this is Alternative Medicine, although it is more accepted now than in previous years like, aromatherapy massage which is now actively promoted by mainstream health professionals as a complimentary therapy during pregnancy and treatment of bad backs, we even have a small number of practitioners qualified in alternative therapies, like homeopathy, scientists have even remarked in the age old profession of palmistry being very accurate in the diagnosis of certain illnesses, the setting up of The Royal Society in 1662 emphasized the 'expert knowledge' camaraderie between so-called experts over common sense knowledge. 'Expert knowledge' was historically endorsed and distributed by middle and upper class male establishments like the Royal Society which was founded by Charles II and allowed male members only and women were only allowed to qualify in Medicine in 1876. This male superiority increased authority to this group in society; their medical knowledge trusted and officially endorsed which in turn dismissed female 'common sense' knowledge."

Tags:certainties, knowledge, science, social, sociology, advancing, changing, consciousness, public, opinion, fact, israel, death, sudden, syndrome

Abstract
Transcendental idealism is founded on the concept of the a priori. Few claims in philosophical history have encouraged as wide and vigorous a debate as this one idea. The a priori nature of causality has been the most cited example, and this paper takes a view of the playing field. Not only is Kant's theory of causality explained with care, but the paper also investigates how Kant stands in reference to traditional ("dogmatic") metaphysics, notably that of Leibniz and also to his powerful contemporary, David Hume; with whom Kant had one eye on when writing "The Critique".

From the Paper
"Immanuel Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason" is largely a response to popular philosophy of the time. This is true of Leibniz (and Wolff's) "dogmatic metaphysics", but also true of the psychological approach of the British empiricists. The most resolute of these, in Kant's mind, was David Hume, and Kant's response to Hume's treatment of causality is worthy of further examination."

Tags:causality, empiricism, enlightenment, hume, idealism, kant, leibniz, metaphysics, priori, rationalism, transcendental

Abstract
This paper answers these questions from a philosophical point of view: How can we know of the existence of Paris at this very moment unless we are sensing Paris? When we examine our world, we are testing our knowledge of the world. But if our knowledge arises from the world around us, and the world around us alone, how could we possibly think testing it against the world would lead to truth? The paper concludes that what is needed is a systemization of truth, reality and knowledge, through the concept of possible worlds.

From the Paper
"Heidegger once stated that the central question for metaphysics was why there was something rather than nothing. Existentialism bases its philosophy squarely on this question, or, as Sartre might have put it, on the negation of this question. The critical issue at hand here, is the position of man as being-in-the-world in Heidegger as opposed to Descartes view of man as being in and of itself. The concept of existence has changed. It was once a view of an outside observer peering into the world, using knowledge to poke and prod reality, forcing it to come forth. This is the view Kant emphasized in his brilliant Critique of Pure Reason. Heidegger paints a much different picture of reality and knowledge. Reality is the creator of all, but an unusual creator. No longer is the creator totally separated from the created. Man becomes the maker of himself. Reality becomes intertwined with knowledge in such a way that the word paradox does not even begin to describe it. Heidegger's world is a much more complex and subjective one than Kant imagined. Where man's "prodding" at the world is a prodding at his very reality. This blur of self and world, this modern idea of knowledge and reality intertwining is of great importance in metaphysics and epistemology, and the relationship between knowledge, reality and order must be further understood."

Tags:truth, reality, kant, heidegger, metaphysics

Abstract
Am I the same person as I was five years ago? Who was I then, and who am I now? If I am different, then how different am I? What does sameness over time depend on, and what does difference? What is free will? If there is free will, does it change over time? This paper discusses these questions and argues that both the self as a physical identity and the self as a mental being must necessarily change over time. It also argues that free will is merely a conditioned social concept.

From the Paper
"What is a person? Although this is a topic that has plagued philosophers since the beginning of the Cartesian exploration of the mind and body, personhood's exact definition has never been pinned down. However for the purposes of the following discussion, personhood will be described a conglomeration of mental, physical and emotional functions existing at any point in time. This definition is important as it outlays that personhood is very much something temporal. This is clearly important as the question asked is, am I the same person I was five years ago. If then, personhood is temporally located, we can see that changes are possible to a person over time."

Tags:descartes, free, freewill, hume, locke, nietzche, parfit, philosophy, self

Abstract
Tracing back through the history of thought this essay looks at Descartes conception of the mind and follows the logic of his argument in relation to the modern digital computer and the work of Turing and Searle.

From the Paper
"The mind and the processes of thought are complicated and problematic in discussion. Throughout the history of thought these ideas and their meanings have been debated. I'll be discussing the way, in particular, three philosophers have encountered and dealt with this problem. Starting with an overview of Descartes view on the issue of the mind and the machine, and following with the decimation of his ideas. I'll then go on to explain the ideas of Turing and Searle in relation to their ideas of mind and thought in the modern age. I will also explain why the mind is something that cannot be duplicated by a computer programme and that at best the biological processes of thought and the mind can only be simulated and not duplicated by a modern digital computer."

Tags:digital, reasoning, searle, turing

Abstract
What is existence? This essay categorizes existence, with reference to the conceptions of reality made by Aristotle and Sartre. The paper asks if existence of something unknowable is possible? Is metaphysics a legitimate enterprise based on an authentic order to the world? The paer shows that existence is to be examined as whole and all encompassing, and that reality and non-reality are necessary components for experience.

From the Paper
"When we consider our experience, and the "place" in which it occupies, many questions come to mind. What is this experience? Is what I experience all that exists? Do things out there exist? Why does this exist? And so on. It is my contention that all of these questions, and many others of a similar nature are all related in a fundamental way to the question of infinity. Naturally enough, when we think of infinity, we think of it pertaining to something, as a property of something. It is this question of whether a thing is finite or infinite that comes before all others, even whether it has the "property" of existence. This is due to the fact that finity and infinity define two possible values of existence. Finite existences have a subset of properties that establish its nature. Infinite existences, or possible existences, also have another subset of properties that establish its nature. It is my further contention that infinity represents an ultimate logical impossibility in the establishment of existence, and threatens the "wholeness" that establishes a reality. With that in mind, we can rule out the subset of properties associated with infinite existences, as they turn out to be the very properties of non-existence, which, as I will show, if a fundamental aspect to a reality itself. In short, this essay will systematize reality from non-reality, existence from non-existence using the notion of absolute finitude as a touchstone."

Tags:epistomology, existentialism, infinity, logic, metaphysics, philosophy

Abstract
This paper begins by stating the argument Descartes gives for a version of mind/body dualism. It then considers two objections to Descartes' argument and finally assesses the validity of Descartes' argument in light of those objections.

From the Paper
"Much of the intellectual history of psychology as well as philosophy has involved the attempt to come to grips with a dilemma of mind and body. This dilemma was eventually broken into main two opposing views: one view (dualism) proposes that our universe contains two very different and equally fundamental types of entity: mental/spiritual and physical/material items. Most followers of this view hold that human mind (or soul) is to survive the annihilation of the body. The contrasting view, materialism, on the other hand, affirms that everything in our universe is composed of mass-energy, minds and bodies included."

Tags:philosophy, soul, energy