Influenced by the work of philosopher and mathematician Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947), CPS was founded in 1973 by professors John B. Cobb, Jr. and David Ray Griffin to conduct cutting edge interdisciplinary research guided by the view that interconnection, change, and intrinsic value are core features of the universe. CPS seeks to harmonize fragmented disciplinary thinking in order to develop more integrated and holistic modes of thought. Through innovative conferences, courses, and events, a visiting scholars program, several book series, a peer-reviewed journal, and the world’s largest library/archives of process-relational thought, CPS explores the implications of process principles across a range of disciplines and topics in science, ecology, psychology, philosophy, religion, education, art, political theory, and more.
What We Do
Ecological Civilization & Sustainability
Currently our fastest growing program, CPS has a long history of promoting alternative paradigms for planetary flourishing and the common good. From the 1972 publication of John Cobb's book Is It Too Late?: A Theology of Ecology, in conjunction with the "Alternatives to Catastrophe" conference in Claremont that same year, the Center for Process Studies was founded on and committed to putting philosophy to work toward addressing our most pressing social and environmental challenges. This work was reinforced with the 2015 "Seizing an Alternative" conference, bringing together nearly 2000 participants from around the world to explore process thought and ecological civilization on a range of issues such as agriculture, energy, economics, and more.
Want to get involved in our work on the wellbeing of people and the planet? Contact us.
Education
In his well-known book The Aims of Education and Other Essays, Alfred North Whitehead states that “Education is the acquisition of the art of the utilisation of knowledge.” Those who advocate process-relational perspectives in education challenge the pursuit of “object knowledge” through “value-free” research, instead promoting education with a purpose. Featuring transdisciplinary, whole-person, models of education for the common good, process perspectives on education are guided by the realization that students and teachers are alive! CPS promotes work on educational theory and practice that engages a process perspective, houses the archives for the Association for Process Philosophy of Education (APPE), and continues to conduct conferences, and commission publications pertaining to Whitehead’s philosophy of education. To see what this looks like practice, check out our partners at the Whitehead Kindergarten in Beijing.
Want to get involved in our work on transforming education? Contact us.
Film & Arts
Beauty, imagination, and narrative are among the core themes of a process perspective. For this reason, process philosophy is described by some as an aesthetic philosophy. Recognizing the transformative power of film and art, Professor Marjorie Suchocki launched the Center for Process Studies’ Whitehead International Film Festival in 2001. In 2018, the annual festival was renamed the Common Good International Film Festival, continuing the founding vision to celebrate films from around the world that foster social and personal responsibility to others and the earth.
Want to get involved in our work on beauty, film, & the arts? Contact us.
International & Cultural Studies
Diversity is a core principle of the process-relational perspective. Just as a healthy ecosystem depends on biodiversity, so to do healthy human communities depend on a beautiful tapestry of diverse cultures. CPS works locally and globally to promote the development of process thought through cross-cultural engagement. This work consists of translation programs (including Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Korean), an International Scholar Exchange Program, and a wide range of international conferences and joint training programs. Our most promising work has been in the Pacific Rim regions. Process thought has flourished in China like nowhere else in the world, with more than 36 centers for process studies established in universities across China in collaboration with the CPS China Project. More recently, the Korea Project of CPS has partnered with various NGO’s, universities, and several departments of the Seoul Metropolitan Government to promote process-related solutions to social and environmental challenges.
Want to get involved in one or more of our cultural programs? Contact us.
Philosophy
For a Center inspired by the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead, it should come as no surprise that philosophy is a central concern for the work of CPS. In recent years, much work has been done to put process philosophy in dialogue with poststructuralist and postmodern philosophies, as well as Indic and East Asian philosophies, where many affinities with process thought have been noted. Some have gone so far to describe process philosophy as a form of “constructive postmodernism.” The Whitehead Research Project (WRP) is our most rigorous philosophical program, created to explore and analyzes the relevance of Whitehead’s thought in dialogue with contemporary philosophies in order to unfold the consequences of his “philosophy of organism” for the modern and postmodern world. In addition to conferences and events, a major aspect WRP work includes the Critical Edition of Whitehead project, which has been digitizing, transcribing, and publishing largely unpublished materials (from correspondence, lecture notes, and more) that help illuminate the thought and life of Alfred North Whitehead.
Want to get involved in our work on philosophy? Contact us.
Psychology
Process philosophy portrays the world as a community of subjects (as opposed to a collection of objects). Notions like feeling, experience, and personhood are core features of the process perspective. Many interested in psychology have found process views helpful—including but not limited to areas such as panpsychism, positive psychology, developmental psychology, and parapsychology. Among the exciting edges of our current work include philosophy of psychedelic experiences. Much of this work is being conducted through the CPS Process Phenomenology Project.
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Religion & Spirituality
Process thought has had a significant impact in the areas of theology, religion, and spirituality. From the work of theologians like John Cobb, David Griffin, and Marjorie Suchocki, Process Theology (as well as Open-Relational Theology), has inspired new formulations of the nature of God―including special attention to notions of power, love, and God’s relation to the world. The impact of process theology continues to evolve and expand as new generations of process theologians (like Roland Faber, Philip Clayton, and Andrew Schwartz) have contributed to discourse on science and religion, theopoetics, de/constructive theology, eco-process theology, poststructuralist theology, transreligious discourse, and more. CPS also has a long history as a leader in discourse on religious pluralism and interreligious dialogue, understood as a practice toward mutual transformation and peace. Some of this work is conducted through the Process and Faith (P&F) program of CPS, which provides process-relational resources for faith communities.
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Science
Process philosophy provides a unique way of understanding the world as an emergent interconnected process. As such, process thought has contributed much to study of the natural sciences. From the work of physicists like David Bohm and Tim Eastman to biologists like Lynn Margulis and Charles Birch, many leading scientists have found in process thought an alternative explanation (alternatives to reductive physicalism or mechanistic dualism) that can more adequately demonstrate what we observe of the natural world. Among the exciting frontiers where process thought is playing a significant role are quantum physics and systems sciences.
Want to get involved in our work in the natural sciences? Contact us.