Alfred North Whitehead
(15 February 1861 – 30 December 1947)
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Alfred North Whitehead
(b.1861 - d.1947), British
mathematician, logician and
philosopher best known for
his work in mathematical
logic and the philosophy of
science. In collaboration with
Bertrand Russell, he
authored the landmark
three-volume Prin’cipia
Mathematica (1910, 1912,
1913) and contributed
significantly to twentiethcentury logic and
metaphysics.
A Brief Bio
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One of the twentieth century's most original
metaphysicians and a major figure in mathematical
logic, Alfred North Whitehead was also an important
social and educational philosopher. Born in England,
he was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge,
where he also taught mathematics from 1884 until
1910. He then moved to London, where he was
professor of applied mathematics at the University of
London until 1924. Receiving an invitation to join the
philosophy department at Harvard University,
Whitehead came to the United States and taught at
Harvard until 1937. He remained in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, for the rest of his life.
Philosophy of Organism
& Process Philosophy
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Philosophy of Organism or Organic
Realism is how Alfred North Whitehead
described his metaphysics. It is now known
as process philosophy.
Organism is a form of life composed of
mutually interdependent parts that maintain
various vital processes.
Central to this school is the idea of
con’crescence. Concrescence means growing
together (com/con from Latin for "together",
crescence from Latin crescere/cret- grow)
Preface, page v
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The students are alive, and the purpose of
education is to stimulate and guide their selfdevelopment.
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It follows as a corollary [inference] from this
premise, that the teachers also should be alive with
living thoughts.
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The whole book is a protest against dead
knowledge, that is to say, against the inert ideas.
Natural vs. Unnatural
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揠苗助长
【yàmiáozhùzhǎng】 try to help
the shoots grow by pulling them
upward - spoil things by excessive
enthusiasm
Ducking Feeding &
The Banking Concept of Education
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Ducking feeding
model/
Crammer, a person
or institution that
prepares pupils for
an examination
intensively over a
short period of time.
Passive learning
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The banking concept
of education
Passive learning
Paula Freire--1921 –
1997) was a
Brazilian educator
and influential
theorist of critical
pedagogy.
Inert Ideas vs. Live Ideas
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Inert ideas: page 1
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Utilized
Tested
Thrown into fresh
combinations
In-Class Writing
In light of his model
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Crystalize your central idea/root in your first
essay for 120F
The students are alive, and the purpose of
education is to stimulate and guide their
self-development. It follows as a corollary
[inference] from this premise, that the
teachers also should be alive with living
thoughts. The whole book is a protest
against dead knowledge, that is to say,
against the inert ideas.
Long or Short
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What is the central idea of your
portfolio?
One sentence summary
Five minutes recap
More detailed description