The Process Thought of Loren Eiseley
Course Summary
In this four-week course, Dr. Terry Goddard will facilitate a reading and discussion of four of Loren Eiseley’s essays, focusing especially on his view of process thought as it relates to nature.
Course Description
Loren Eiseley (1907-1977), the mid- twentieth century naturalist, was a man of many talents. Eiseley was trained as an anthropologist and taught for many years at the University of Pennsylvania. He authored several books of essays and poetry. His best-known book is The Immense Journey, a retelling of the story of evolution by way of personal stories, science, and his own immense imagination.
One of his better-known books of essays is The Star Thrower. In it Eiseley brings together the process thought of Alfred North Whitehead and the nineteenth-century transcendentalism, of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. He connects these two philosophies in a series of essays that evince his compatibility with transcendentalism’s affinity for nature and portrays them as forerunners of process thought. Whiteheadian thought, as open and relational, is evident throughout the essays. Moreover, Eiseley shares the belief with process thinkers that all of life, all “actual entities,” to use Whiteheadian language, experience and have value. With transcendentalists and process thinkers, Eiseley affirms that nature has significant importance and value for itself. However, what attracts me to Eiseley’s writings more is his use of language, his “poetic” prose, and his love of nature in all its diversity.
In this class we will read four of Eiseley’s essays with an eye to open and relational thought. The four essays are “The Flow of the River,” “How Flowers Changed the World,” “Judgement of the Birds,” and “Star Thrower.” I will provide copies of each of the essays a week before we discuss it together. Our format will be to come to the class meeting ready to discuss Eiseley’s essay of the week. No pressure, but I hope the class will be a discussion and not a lecture.
