Unifying process philosophy: secular metaphysics and fragmentary influences

In 'Nihilism Inc: environmental destruction and the metaphysics of sustainability', Arran Gare argues that to properly comprehend, debate and then effectively confront the global problems confronting humanity, it is necessary to develop comprehensive, unified systems of thought. To demonstrate this, he has identified patterns of metaphysical thought pervading civilizations which have endured through long periods of history. Rather than cultures being fragmented and chaotic, as postmodernists have suggested, Gare shows how these deep patterns unify cultures and the individuals and institutions defined through them. In particular, Gare has identified two main patterns of thought, one being mechanistic materialism, the other process philosophy. Mechanistic materialism, according to Gare, is based on belief in the primary reality of material components over composite entities. This is the core of a pattern of thought which, he argues, has come to dominate the modem world. It has underpinned some of its successes, most importantly by facilitating control of the world; but it also underpins much of its destructiveness and nihilism. Without the perspective provided by an alternative metaphysical tradition it is impossible to appreciate the root cause of this destructiveness or how it could be avoided. One destructive aspect of the culture dominated by mechanistic materialism is that by denying that it is one metaphysical tradition among others while censuring any practice not defined through this tradition of thought, it has blocked efforts to question it or to consider and develop alternative metaphysical traditions. For process thought to be considered as an alternative to it, it is first necessary to recognize mechanistic materialism as a tradition of metaphysical thought, and to do this it is necessary to create the conditions that will allow alternative systems of thought to be researched and articulated. Systematic philosophy, he argues, should be developed as a new grand narrative. Through a grand narrative it is possible to not only articulate a metaphysical system but put in perspective and gain a greater understanding of the successes or failures of other systems; although as Gare points out, one advantage of dealing in characterizations of the nature of physical existence is that there are few rivals to contend with. Mechanistic materialism itself has been extremely successful in providing the basis of a grand narrative, a grand narrative that has not only articulated this metaphysics but integrated people and institutions into a story of social, political and scientific progress. This has culminated in the almost complete domination of the world by Neoliberalism. The purpose of this chapter is to outline Gare's alternative metaphysical system, one that could underpin a grand narrative with the potential to re-integrate people and institutions differently and allow us to envisage a different future. This is a version of process philosophy. Its distinctive characteristics will be revealed by outlining and discussing its basic categories, contrasting these with those of other traditions of thought being developed to challenge the mechanistic materialist world-view.' It will be argued that several problems exist within these alternative traditions, particularly theistic versions of process metaphysics, which are overcome by Gare's metaphysics