The Process of Nature and The Nature of Process

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The contemporary revival of process philosophy requires renewed clarification of its conceptual scope and ontological commitments. This article investigates the meaning of a processual conception of reality, beginning from the difficulty of defining “process” without presupposing either being or becoming as its ground. By revisiting the Greek origins of the debate, from Heraclitus’ primacy of flux to Aristotle’s teleological framing of change, the study shows how classical metaphysics consistently subordinated process to permanence. Against this background, modern process thinkers such as Hegel, Schelling, Peirce, James, Bergson, and Whitehead articulate an inversion of perspective: what happens precedes what “is,” and identity must be derived from transformation. From this standpoint, time, space, and causality appear not as neutral containers but as dimensions constituted within processuality itself. The paper further distinguishes between strong and weak forms of processualism and situates them within contemporary debates on ontology, epistemology, and phenomenology. Particular attention is given to the role of experience, creativity, and emergence in configuring novelty and natural order. The article concludes by proposing a view of nature as a network of processes, where laws and structures are contingent stabilizations rather than immutable essences, thus offering a dynamic alternative to atomistic and mechanistic paradigms.