Perhaps foremost among what Whitehead considered faulty metaphysical assumptions was the Cartesian idea that reality is fundamentally constructed of bits of matter that exist totally independently of one another, which he rejected in favor of an event-based or "process" ontology in which events are primary and are fundamentally interrelated and dependent on one another. He also argued that the most basic elements of reality can all be regarded as experiential, indeed that everything is constituted by its experience. He used the term "experience" very broadly, so that even inanimate processes such as electron collisions are said to manifest some degree of experience. In this, he went against Descartes' separation of two different kinds of real existence, either exclusively material or else exclusively mental. Whitehead referred to his metaphysical system as "philosophy of organism", but it would become known more widely as "process philosophy." COUNT 10
QSN1 What Cartesian concept did Whitehead believe to be erroneous? ANS1 reality is fundamentally constructed of bits of matter that exist totally independently of one another QSN2 What theory did Whitehead prefer to the Cartesian concept? ANS2 event-based or "process" ontology in which events are primary and are fundamentally interrelated and dependent on one another QSN3 How did whitehead define "experience"? ANS3 He used the term "experience" very broadly, so that even inanimate processes such as electron collisions are said to manifest some degree of experience QSN4 How did Descartes' distinguish types of existence? ANS4 two different kinds of real existence, either exclusively material or else exclusively mental QSN5 How did Whitehead identify his system of metaphysics? ANS5 "philosophy of organism" QSN6 What idea states that reality is fundamentally constructed of bits of matter? ANS6 Cartesian idea QSN7 Whitehead rejected the Cartesian idea in favor of what? ANS7 an event-based or "process" ontology QSN8 Whitehead believed instead of matter existing independently of each other, it did what? ANS8 interrelated and dependent QSN9 Whitehead believed that reality should be regarded as what? ANS9 experiential QSN10 Whitehead's system as "philosophy of organism" became widely known as what term? ANS10 process philosophy