# Order, Disorder and Intensity ## Source Screenshot ![[08-03-25 Process and Reality (5).jpg]] ## Metadata - **Source**: Process and Reality, p. 83 - **Author**: Alfred North Whitehead - **Context**: Part I analysis of the internal constitution of actual entities and the relationship between order, disorder, and intensity ## Original Passage > "(iv) That 'intensity' in the formal constitution of a subject-superject involves 'appetition' in its objective functioning as superject. > 'Order' is a mere generic term: there can only be some definite specific order,' not merely 'order' in the vague. Thus every definite total phase of 'givenness' involves a reference to that specific 'order' which is its dominant ideal, and involves the specific 'disorder' due to its inclusion of 'given' components which exclude the attainment of the full ideal. The attainment is partial, and thus there is 'disorder'; but there is some attainment," ## Initial Reflections - Intensity and appetition are intimately connected in the subject-superject structure - Order must always be specific and definite, never merely generic or vague - Every phase of experience involves both order (toward dominant ideal) and disorder (from partial attainment) - The tension between ideal and actual creates the dynamic structure of experience ## Analysis {{Open Forum}} ## Key Concepts Defined | Concept | Definition/Interpretation | | ------------ | ------------------------- | | [[intensity]] | A measure of the richness or vividness in the formal constitution of a subject-superject. Connected to the degree of successful integration achieved in the process of concrescence. | | [[appetition]] | The forward-looking, teleological aspect of actual entities in their objective functioning. The drive toward specific forms of satisfaction and completion. | | [[subject-superject]] | Whitehead's compound term for actual entities: they are subjects of their own experience (subject) and objects for future experiences (superject). The hyphenated unity of becoming and being. | | [[formal constitution]] | The internal structure and organization of an actual entity as it achieves its own satisfaction through the process of concrescence. | | [[objective functioning]] | How an actual entity operates as an object or datum for subsequent actual entities. Its role as superject for future occasions. | | [[definite specific order]] | Order cannot be merely generic or abstract but must be determinate and specific. Every ordering involves particular relationships and exclusions. | | [[dominant ideal]] | The specific form of order that serves as the teleological goal or aim for a particular phase of givenness. The ideal toward which the occasion strives. | | [[givenness]] | The totality of data and conditions that provide the material for a new actual entity's process of self-creation. What is "given" to be integrated. | | [[specific disorder]] | The inevitable result of including given components that conflict with or prevent the full attainment of the dominant ideal. Disorder as exclusion of perfect order. | | [[partial attainment]] | The fact that actual entities never achieve perfect realization of their dominant ideal but always involve some degree of compromise and limitation. | ## Philosophical Implications This passage reveals crucial aspects of Whitehead's theory of how actual entities achieve intensity and satisfaction: - **Teleological Structure**: Actual entities are inherently goal-directed through appetition toward specific ideals - **Order-Disorder Dialectic**: Every experience involves both ordering toward ideals and disorder from limitations - **Specificity Requirement**: Order cannot be abstract but must be determinate and particular - **Subject-Superject Unity**: Actual entities are simultaneously subjects of experience and objects for others - **Intensity through Integration**: The richness of experience depends on successful integration despite limitations - **Partial Realization**: Perfect attainment is impossible; reality involves compromise and limitation This connects to contemporary discussions of emergence, complexity theory, and teleological naturalism. ## Connections ### Internal Connections - Develops [[Whitehead - Actual Entities as Occasions of Experience]] through analysis of internal structure - Links to [[Process and Reality - Concrescence and Satisfaction]] in the achievement of intensity - Connects to [[Whitehead - Eternal Objects]] as providing the ideals toward which appetition aims ### External Connections - Dialogue with [[Aristotle - Teleology and Final Causes]] in the concept of appetition and dominant ideals - Connection to [[Kant - Aesthetic Ideas]] in the tension between ideal and actual attainment - Anticipates [[Complexity Theory - Edge of Chaos]] where order and disorder create optimal conditions - Links to [[Information Theory - Entropy and Organization]] in the order-disorder relationship - Contemporary relevance: [[Emergence Theory]] and the generation of higher-order patterns - Connection to [[Buddhist Philosophy - Suffering and Limitation]] in the inevitability of partial attainment ## Questions & Further Investigation 1. How does Whitehead's concept of intensity relate to contemporary theories of [[consciousness]] and [[qualia]]? 2. Can the order-disorder relationship be formalized through [[information theory]] or [[thermodynamics]]? 3. How does appetition relate to [[teleological naturalism]] and [[emergence]] in complex systems? 4. Can the subject-superject structure be modeled through [[category theory]] or [[process algebras]]? 5. How does this connect to [[optimization theory]] and the mathematics of constraint satisfaction? 6. Does the partial attainment concept anticipate [[Gödel's incompleteness]] theorems in formal systems? 7. How might [[game theory]] illuminate the tension between competing ideals in givenness? ## Notes for Synthesis - Central for [[Essay - Whitehead's Theory of Intensity and Aesthetic Experience]] - Links to [[Essay - Order, Disorder, and Emergence in Process Philosophy]] - Develops [[Essay - Appetition and Teleology in Nature]] - Connection to recurring theme of [[ideal and actual in process constitution]] - Counter-argument to consider: Does appetition require consciousness or can it be purely mechanical? - Bridge to [[Essay - Subject-Superject and the Unity of Experience]] - Potential development: [[Essay - Information, Order, and Process Philosophy]] --- ## References - Screenshot: [[08-03-25 Process and Reality (5).jpg]] - Book: [[Process and Reality MOC]] - Related Notes: [[Whitehead - Subject-Superject]], [[Intensity and Satisfaction]], [[Order and Disorder]] ## Processing Status - [x] Passage transcribed - [x] Initial analysis complete - [x] Key concepts defined - [x] Connections established - [x] Questions identified - [x] Ready for integration