Episode #147 - Being and Becoming

Being and Becoming

In this episode, the show dives into the age-old philosophical debate between being and becoming, using thinkers like Heraclitus, Parmenides, Nietzsche, Bergson, and Whitehead to explore how we understand identity, truth, and the universe itself. While "being" suggests a fixed, stable essence to things, "becoming" views reality as a constant process of change—both in the world and in ourselves. Nietzsche's emphasis on comedy as a philosophical tool highlights how humor and tragedy can challenge the idea that things are eternally a certain way. The episode critiques the limits of materialist science and language, suggesting that the universe—and human experience—can’t be fully grasped through reductionist thinking alone. Instead, process philosophers argue for a shift in metaphysics, urging us to view identity and reality as dynamic, evolving, and deeply interconnected.

Further Reading:

Process Philosophy: A Survey of Basic Issues by Nicholas Rescher (2000)
Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead by C. Robert Mesle (2008)
Process and Reality by Alfred North Whitehead (1929)

See the full transcript here.