Charles Hartshorne Quotes
Charles Hartshorne was an American philosopher and the principal interpreter and developer of Whitehead's process metaphysics. After early studies at Harvard with R. The quotes below are attributed to Charles Hartshorne, organized by topic.
Browse Charles Hartshorne by topic
Charles Hartshorne on Death
-
“In the Veery journal interview in 1996, in reply to the question of "What is the most rewarding aspect of philosophy?" presented by Veery editor Steven Vita, later reprinted in 1997 in the Austin American-Statesman and then quoted from in The New York Times obituary entitled “Charles Hartshorne, Theologian, Is Dead; Proponent of an Activist God Was 103.”
the search for necessary truths, truths that are not only true, but they couldn’t have been false.
Charles Hartshorne on God
-
Attributed to Charles Hartshorne:
“God is the supremely related being, related to all that is.”
-
Attributed to Charles Hartshorne:
“Each moment of experience adds new richness to the divine life.”
-
“My ultimate intuitive clue in philosophy is that " God is love " and that the idea of God is definable as that of the being worthy to be loved with all one’s heart , mind , soul , and entire being .”
The Philosophy of Charles Hartshorne (1991), edited by Lewis Edwin Hahn, p. 700 -
“[T]he traditional idea of divine perfection or infinity is hopelessly unclear or ambiguous and that persisting in that tradition is bound to cause increasing skepticism, confusion, and human suffering. It has long bred, and must evermore breed, atheism as a natural reaction.”
Omnipotence and Other Theological Mistakes(1984)
Charles Hartshorne on Knowledge
-
“The Logic of Perfection and Other Essays in Neoclassical Metaphysics (1962) p. viii”
Speculative Philosophy is the endeavour to frame a coherent, logical, necessary system of general ideas in terms of which every element of our experience can be interpreted. By this notion of 'interpretation' I mean that everything of which we are conscious, as enjoyed, perceived, willed, or thought, shall have the character of a particular instance of the general scheme. -
“Do you remember which way I was heading?”
In Herbert F. Vetter, " Not The Average Philosopher ", Harvard Magazine , May/June 1997, Volume 99, Number 5. Recounting Hartshorne's legendary absent-mindedness.
Charles Hartshorne on Love
-
Attributed to Charles Hartshorne:
“Love is the inclusive virtue, embracing all the others.”
Charles Hartshorne on Mind
-
“Speculative Philosophy is the endeavour to frame a coherent, logical, necessary system of general ideas in terms of which every element of our experience can be interpreted. By this notion of 'interpretation' I mean that everything of which we are conscious, as enjoyed, perceived, willed, or thought, shall have the character of a particular instance of the general scheme.”
The Logic of Perfection and Other Essays in Neoclassical Metaphysics (1962) p. viii
Charles Hartshorne on Nature
-
Attributed to Charles Hartshorne:
“Reality is process; substance is its abstraction.”
-
Attributed to Charles Hartshorne:
“Becoming includes being; being does not include becoming.”
-
“I think my great book is Born to Sing: An Interpretation and World Survey of Bird Song .”
In Herbert F. Vetter, " Not The Average Philosopher ", Harvard Magazine , May/June 1997, Volume 99, Number 5. Vetter was surprised by this, given Hartshorne's dozens of substantial books on theology.
Charles Hartshorne on Truth
-
“the search for necessary truths, truths that are not only true, but they couldn’t have been false.”
In the Veery journal interview in 1996, in reply to the question of "What is the most rewarding aspect of philosophy?" presented by Veery editor Steven Vita, later reprinted in 1997 in the Austin American-Statesman and then quoted from in The New York Times obituary entitled “Charles Hartshorne, Theologian, Is Dead; Proponent of an Activist God Was 103.