The Process of Nature and The Nature of Process
Università degli Studi di Torino July 19, 2026 Luca Vanzago
This article examines the meaning of a processual conception of reality, arguing that classical metaphysics subordinated process to permanence, while modern process thinkers invert this perspective by deriving identity from transformation. The author contends that time, space, and causality are dimensions constituted within processuality itself, not neutral containers. Distinguishing between strong and weak forms of processualism, the paper situates these within debates on ontology, epistemology, and phenomenology, emphasizing experience, creativity, and emergence in configuring novelty and natural order. It concludes by proposing a view of nature as a network of processes where laws and structures are contingent stabilizations rather than immutable essences.