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Samuel AlexanderEnglish idealist philosopher
Date of Birth: 06.01.1859
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Samuel Alexander: Idealist Philosopher and Emergentist
- Philosophical Views
- Space-Time and Evolution
- Nusus: The Spiritual Source
- Epistemology and Categories
- Later Life and Legacy
Samuel Alexander: Idealist Philosopher and Emergentist
Early Life and EducationSamuel Alexander was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1859. He received his education at the University of Melbourne and the University of Oxford.
Philosophical Views
Idealism and NeorealismAlexander's philosophical views were rooted in idealism, which posits that reality is ultimately mental or spiritual. However, he also embraced elements of neorealism, which asserts that the objects of perception exist independently of our minds.
Space-Time and Evolution
Alexander believed that the ultimate reality was "space-time," which he identified with energy and motion. He argued that evolution was an "emergent" process that produced new qualities—such as matter, life, and consciousness—out of the underlying space-time continuum.
Nusus: The Spiritual Source
In contrast to the prevailing view of objective causation in nature, Alexander proposed the concept of "nisus." Nusus, a Latin term meaning "drive" or "urge," was the spiritual source that directed evolution towards its ultimate goal: the divine.
Epistemology and Categories
Alexander's epistemological stance was influenced by neorealism. He held that knowledge was gained through direct experience of reality. He also developed a theory of categories as unchanging and permanent properties of both matter and spirit.
Later Life and Legacy
Alexander held professorships at the University of Manchester and the University of Liverpool. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1913 and died in 1938. Alexander's work continues to be influential in philosophy, particularly in the areas of metaphysics and the philosophy of mind.
